The Lost Girl
by Shadowed-Shikyo
Summary: Part II: Anna is all alone in Cairo, working at the Museum of Antiquities. But when her life is threatened, she finds herself in the company of Ardeth Bay once again, working to stop a plot that could destroy Egypt. But Anna is faced with making a choice. A choice that could give her what she desperately wants: the chance to go home. [Gradual ArdethxOC] [All One Story]
1. Twenty-Three Minutes

Twenty-three minutes. She overslept by twenty-three minutes.

Anna Campbell cracked her eye opened, saw the time, and let out a loud "FUCK!"

She jumped off her bed and ran around her room, grabbing clothes and putting them on. She thundered down the stairs and flew through the kitchen. "I'm late!" She shrieked to her mother as she grabbed her bag.

"That's what you get for going to bed so late," her mother scolded.

"You could have woken me up," Anna said as she hopped on one foot, getting her shoes on. "I'm going to be late for work."

"And you need to understand that you're an adult now and you have responsibilities. You can't just waste your time on your computer anymore," her mother lectured.

"I wasn't wasting time!" Anna protested. "I was watching an educational TV series."

Her mother rolled her eyes at that. She held out a muffin for Anna and she snatched it from her.

"Thanks, bye!" She ran out the door and down the street. If she ran fast enough, she could get to work a hair before she was supposed to clock in.

For once in her life she was glad she had spent five years as a midfielder.

She shoved the muffin in her mouth and chewed as she ran. She clung to the hope that Mr. Young would go easy on her since she had never been late before. He liked her a lot too and told her she was one of the more competent workers he's had.

Anna glanced at her phone and saw she only had seven minutes until she was supposed to clock in. Her heart jumped. Mr. Young's store was ten blocks away.

Panic engulfed her. Why in the hell did she have to binge-watch _Marco Polo_ last night?

She swallowed the rest of her muffin and crossed the street. But in her haste she forgot to look to her left for incoming traffic. Immediately she heard a loud car horn, she looked left, and to her horror saw a truck heading her way.

It was like time slowed down. She could make out the detailing of the black Dodge ram as it came closer and closer. The truck was _shiny_ too. She could see her own deer-in-the-headlights look reflected back at her.

_Oh no_, she thought as she put her hands up as if to shield herself. Hot agony ripped through her as the truck collided with her body and she flew back.

It was true what they said because Anna saw her life flash before her eyes. She thought of her mother and her step-dad, John, laughing at their wedding. She saw her Abuela reciting her Hail Mary in Spanish and lighting a votive candle. Her dad was grinning as she received her high school diploma. Her soccer team screaming when they won Nationals. And then she was watching Marco Polo until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

Twenty-three minutes. Had she gotten up on time she wouldn't have been in such a hurry. She would've been at work already.

Anna Campbell opened her mouth in a soundless scream (not that she could scream—the truck knocked all wind out of her) and her world went black as her back hit the pavement.

-x-

"I just found her lying there!" Someone was saying in the distance. _A woman_, Anna thought vaguely.

"Where did she come from? And what is she _wearing_?" This time, it was man speaking."And is that metal in her ears?"

Was she in the hospital? Did she survive being hit by a truck? But that woman didn't sound like her mother. And that man didn't sound like John or her dad. And come to think of it, Anna didn't feel like she was in pain; just sore all over with a raging headache.

Maybe the hospital had extremely good painkillers.

_How long have I been out? _She thought.

But above her, the man was speaking. "Miss? Miss, can you hear me?" A finger tapped her forehead gently and Anna's eyes snapped open.

She was staring at an elderly man with a salt and pepper beard and wearing what looked like a funny, red hat. He was leaning over her—was she on a floor? But he was most definitely _not_ her dad or John.

Anna screamed high and loud. The man backed away quickly, wincing at sheer volume of Anna's scream. Anna scuttled backwards until her back hit something solid. Her eyes darted from the man to the woman standing just behind him.

She was pretty in an old-fashioned sort of way: curly, brown hair tied back, dark, brown eyes, and a white blouse and skirt ensemble. She looked very matronly.

"Who are you?" Anna shrieked. "Where am I?"

The man looked to the woman and she stepped closer to Anna. She held her hands up and said soothingly, "you're okay. We're not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" Anna asked again. "And where am I?"

The two shared looks again before the woman spoke again. "My name is Evelyn Carnahan. This is Dr. Terrence Bey. And you're in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo."

_Cairo?_ "Cairo, Egypt?" Anna blurted out.

Evelyn Carnahan nodded. "Yes. I found you passed out on the floor."

_**Cairo, Egypt. How on Earth did she travel seven thousand miles from San Francisco to Cairo?**_ _I'm dead,_ Anna thought. _I died and now I'm in heaven or something._ But she looked around her and saw things that looked like they belonged in an Egypt exhibit in a museum.

She looked at the two, terrified, before a little squeak escaped her and her eyes rolled up to the back of her head and she passed out.

-x-

Anna was surrounded by fog. She looked around but couldn't see anything. There was nothing but fog and the dirt road she was standing on. "Hello?" She shouted into the din.

In response she felt something brush past her ear and heard something whisper to her: "_Come closer, child."_

Though she felt terrified, she blindly walked forward and hoped whoever had talked to her was waiting ahead of her.

"Hello?" She tried again.

She stopped fully when she saw someone emerge from in the fog and then she was staring at the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on.

The woman was unnaturally tall with straight black hair that fell to her shoulders. She wore an elaborate headdress that looked kind of like a throne the more Anna looked at it. Her eyes were so dark they appeared black. And she wore the softest-looking white dress. "Do not be afraid," the woman said.

"I..." Anna's voice failed her. "Who are you?" She asked when she finally gain the courage to speak.

The woman merely smiled mysteriously. "Hold your head high. Soon, your time will come to stop a great calamity. Embrace you destiny."

Anna stared at the woman blankly. "What?" She asked, dumbfounded. What the hell was she talking about? Anna was only a nineteen year old girl from San Francisco! Who, however long ago, had been hit by a freaking _truck_!

The woman chuckled. "Do not be frightened when the time comes, Iset."__She walked forward and put her hand on Anna's forehead. "Walk towards the light."

And then Anna woke up.

She bolted upright and immediately regretted it because her head gave a vicious throb. Anna winced and held her head in her hands before looking around.

She was no longer in the room from before but in what seemed like a small office. She got up from the small sofa where she had been laying on and looked around. It looked a lot of like the office her old high school advance placement history teacher's desk area in his classroom. Books were strewn everywhere, stacked on high bookshelves and left on tables. There were notes scattered about and a couple plants. But despite that, the office was pretty well organized unlike her old teacher's whose desk always looked like a tornado went through.

Curiosity got the best of her and her first stop was the bookshelf. She noted many of the books were in languages she couldn't understand (looked like a majority were in Arabic and maybe some in Hebrew?) And only a few were in English.

On the desk she found some handwritten notes and a newspaper. She gingerly picked it up and scanned it but when she looked at the numbers up top, she dropped it in shock. She did not just—

"Oh you're up!" The woman, Evelyn, was back. She looked more cheerful to see Anna up and about. "How're you feeling, dear?

Anna gaped at her and Evelyn frowned. "Something wrong?" Evelyn asked.

"What year is it?" Anna asked weakly.

Evelyn gave her a strange look. "April Sixteenth, 1926," she said.

Anna's knees went weak and she had to hold onto the desk chair for support. She wasn't in San Francisco, California in 2015. She was in Cairo, Egypt in the year _1926_. "That's impossible," Anna croaked out.

Evelyn hurried to her and helped get her steady. "Are you alright?"

_No_. The word got stuck her throat and she shook her head mutely. But then a lump formed in her throat, her chin trembled, and she burst into tears.

"Oh no," Evelyn said and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Please don't cry. Please tell me what's going on."

It took half an hour for Anna to stop crying and by then Evelyn had made her a cup of tea and sat her back down on the sofa. "Dr. Bey had to step out for awhile," Evelyn told her as she sat next to Anna.

Anna sipped at her tea, grimacing at the bitterness. _Earl Grey. Not my favorite. What I wouldn't give for a white tea or chai._

"I think I'm lost," Anna said finally when she trusted her voice.

"Lost how?"

Anna hesitated here. As much as she felt she could trust this Evelyn, she decided telling her she was from the future was not the best of ideas. Evelyn would think her crazy. And if her history classes from high school served her correctly, mental institutions were the worst possible place she could end up in. (As if being in 1926 wasn't the worse place she could be.)

"Where are you from? What's your name?" Evelyn asked.

"My name's Anna Campbell," Anna started. "I'm from San Francisco, California."

Anna started off small. She told Evelyn how old she was and that she really didn't know how she got to Egypt from California. And as truthfully as she could, she told Evelyn she didn't have any family which was technically true. Her parents haven't been born yet. Her grandparents were probably children, maybe young adults.

Evelyn seemed to accept this and didn't push Anna for more details after Anna truthfully told her she didn't know how she ended up in the museum. Anna was grateful for that because she didn't know how she would make up her history. She didn't know what she could say that wouldn't give away what was to come.

It was 1926 now which meant America was nearing the end of the roaring twenties and jazz era. It had only three more years until the stock market crashed. World War I ended seven years ago. World War II wouldn't happen for another thirteen years and Anna shuddered, remembering all the atrocities committed during the second world war.

And then cold dread swept through her again. She was in 1926. Which meant the internet hadn't been invented yet. Neither had smartphones or computers.

_Tom Hiddleston hasn't been born yet._

She let out a mournful wail when she realized she would at least be forty years older than Tom Hiddleston. And the Avengers didn't exist. Neither did Batman or Captain America or Spider-man.

And she began to cry again when she realized that it would be sixty-four years before Netflix would be invented. And even then, there would be at least another decade before Netflix started streaming movies and shows. She could be dead by then.

Evelyn rubbed Anna's back gently, allowing Anna to cry. "I'm sorry," Anna hiccuped. "I'm just really overwhelmed right now."

"It's alright," Evy soothed. "Just let it out. We'll get things sorted."

But at that moment, Dr. Bey returned. Anna wiped her tears away as the man looked her over. "Have we got an idea who she is?" He asked Evelyn.

"Sort of," Evelyn replied and gave Anna a smile. "I was thinking I would just let her stay with me until we get things sorted."

"Good," Dr. Bey said. "I don't want the authorities swarming in here saying we kidnapped an American girl."

And that would be bad thing, Anna realized. She had no paperwork identifying her as an American citizen. She didn't even have a passport. All she had was the clothes on her back (and just her clothes, her phone and bag didn't seem to come with her on this strange journey) and judging by the way Evelyn and Dr. Bey were eying them, they were horribly out of place.

Compared to Evelyn, she did look strange and unnatural. Anna was just nearly as tall as Evelyn though where Evelyn was petite and womanly, Anna was all leg and a bit thinner thanks to soccer.

And of course her clothing options highlighted these difference. She had opted for a pair of black leggings and a nice, blue shirt, and her neon orange tennis shoes when she was dressing in a hurry. Her long, brown hair (so dark it almost appeared black) was swept back into a ponytail which was slowly becoming messy. And with her pale skin and blue eyes, she was sure she was going to stick out like a sore thumb in Egypt.

-x-

"I don't live too far from the museum," Evelyn said as she walked Anna down the street.

Anna couldn't keep her eyes on one spot. Everything looked like a picture out of a history book: English people and Egyptians walked the streets (many of them giving Anna odd looks.) It wasn't at all like how the internet made Egypt look with the constant disarray from violence.

But at the moment, Egypt was under the control of Britain and Anna wondered how much longer that would last. She wished they had spent more time on Egypt in history so could actually map out the changes in government and when the protests would begin.

"Here we are." Evelyn pulled Anna into a large building. "Fort Bryden. My apartment is closer to the top floor."

Evelyn's apartment was very nice. A four-poster bed in her bedroom with a large wardrobe and vanity. Her living room was open with a table in the middle and several chairs. There was a secondary room that was filled with books on Egypt.

"Please sit." Evelyn gestured to a chair and Anna hesitantly sat down.

Evelyn disappeared into her room and came back out with an armful of clothes. "These may be a bit big for you but they'll do until I can get you some of your own clothes."

As Evelyn sat them out Anna noted they were all blouses and skirts.

"Can't I have pants?" Anna asked as she fingered one of the long white skirts not unlike the one Evelyn was wearing.

Evelyn's brow furrowed. "The shops normally sell pants for men. You'd have to get something tailored but I'd doubt they'd do so. But you could try the Egyptian shops," Evelyn said. "Or steal some from my brother Jonathan when he comes to visit."

And so Anna dejectedly resigned herself to wearing skirts for the time being. She took a white skirt and a purple blouse and walked into the bathroom. She pulled her shoes, leggings, and shirt off and changed into Evy's borrowed clothes. The skirt was a little too short for her long legs but the blouse fit.

"Thanks for helping me, Evelyn," Anna said truthfully to Evelyn when she came out. "I don't what I'd do on my own."

Evelyn merely smiled. "It's nothing, Anna. I couldn't leave you along. And please, call me Evy."

"Thanks, Evy."

-x-

Anna decided that she would have no choice but to settle in her new life in the twenties in Egypt and she figured there were worse places she could be. She could have ended up in Russia as it became a communist state. Or France in the aftermath of the war.

Leave Anna to try and find the positives in life. But those positives quickly drained when the things she would usually turn to for entertainment hadn't been invented yet.

So worked on integrating into this new society. Slowly, she began to learn some Arabic from her neighbors and Ancient Egyptian from Evy (though the latter was extremely difficult.)

With her meager Arabic, she managed to make friends with an elderly Egyptian couple living in a home not too far from the fort. Amir and his wife Aaliyah were happy enough to help Anna with her pronunciation. And Aaliyah took Anna to the bazaar and get some clothes of her own.

Adjusting to Egypt was difficult at first. She had thought California was hot but Egypt was so much worse. The sun beat down on her everyday and she had underestimated the Egyptian sun her first week and ended up with a horrible sun burn. Aaliyah had taken pity on her and showed her how to wear a hijab to protect her neck and shoulders since Anna refused to wear the ridiculous hats Evy gave her. And to make matters worse she kept her hair up in a ponytail despite how horribly informal it was according to Evy.

But Anna didn't care. She enjoyed putting her hair up with her black hair-tie. It felt like the only thing she had left of her previous life. Well, her hair-tie wasn't the only thing she still had left. Her earrings were still in: two piercings on each lob, a ring in her right helix, and a small stud in her right tragus (and no, she would not take them out no matter how horrified people get when they learn those were, in fact, actual piercings.)

Though the best thing that shocked many English people (including Evy) was the small tattoo on her left clavicle: a _calavera_ or, as many people knew it as, a sugar skull. She had to explain a sugar skull to Evy but she skipped over the important details of how she got it.

Nevertheless, because of the sun, Anna had to keep her shoulders covered anyway. People would only see it if she was indoors and wearing a dress with straps.

And to Dr. Bey's annoyance, Anna would join Evy at the museum since she didn't want to stay cooped up in Evy's apartment all day. Going out to explore when Aaliyah or Evy were not around was not an option because of Anna's limited Arabic and she knew nothing of Cairo.

Dr. Bey would give her dark looks as she wandered around the museum and tell her not to touch anything. So Anna would keep to the back rooms, studying her Arabic (and at times, Ancient Egyptian) and made sure to stay out of Dr. Bey's way.

As the days blurred together, Anna had settled into her new life and was resigned to know that she was never going back to 2015. However, her life would be thrown in disarray only two months after coming to Cairo.

-x-

**Why on Earth would I start another fanfiction up? Maybe because I'm insane? I don't know. But The Mummy is one of my favorite movies ever and I watched it last week and I've always wanted to write something for it but I never got an idea of what.**

**Carnahan and O'Connell siblings have been done to death (not judging, I found a few I've liked!) but the trapped in another world/movie/game/etc trope has always been a guilty pleasure of mine so why not? I haven't seen a lot of those in the Mummy archive.**

**So, this is going to be a slow Ardeth romance considering how little time Ardeth gets on screen but it'll get there. I promise.**

**And if any of my regular readers are worried about other stories getting updated, this story is pretty much completed already. I just need to clean up chapters and do a bunch of editing so my time won't be diverted away from the others. So also expect a weekly update if I can remember to post a new chapter or find time to edit.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter two!**


	2. Jonathan's Puzzle Box

After two months, Anna was proud to say that she could finally get to the Museum of Antiquities from Evy's apartment without getting lost. Though she couldn't say the same for the rest of Cairo. She could make it to the bazaar and halfway through before she'd become turned around and find herself lost.

But now she could now carry on a basic conversation in Arabic and ask for directions. So she wouldn't risk being lost forever. And many Egyptians were nice enough to point out the directions to either the fort or the museum.

She walked into the museum practicing her pronunciation for some new words she just learned when she heard a yell coming from the library where Evy spent most of her time in.

Anna hurried into the room and covered her mouth in surprise. "Holy crap."

Somehow, Anna didn't know how, Evy had managed to knock down all the bookshelves like they were dominoes. Papers and books were scattered around; everything was an absolute mess.

Evy met Anna's eyes. "Oops," she said quietly.

"What? How?" Someone else said in shock.

Dr. Bey had come out of his office and he was looking at the mess in disbelief until his gaze landed on Evy. His lip curled in distaste as he strode towards her. "Look at this!" He snarled. "Sons of the Pharaohs! Give me frogs! Flies! Locusts! Anything but _you_!" He jabbed his finger at her for emphasis. "Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy!"

"Well that's a little harsh," Anna said quietly.The plagues actually killed people. Evy didn't hurt anyone except for the books.

But both Evy and Dr. Bey ignored her. "I am so very sorry," Evy said. "It was an accident."

Dr. Bey scoffed. "My girl, when Rameses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. You, are a _catastrophe!_ Look at my library!" He gestured to the fallen bookshelves and destroyed books. "Why do I put up with you?"

Anna saw Evy's back stiffen. "Well you put up with me because I read and write Ancient Egyptian," she started. "And I can—I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic and, w-well, I am the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalog this library. _That's why_!"

"I put up with you because your mother and father were our finest patrons. _That's why_!" Dr. Bey snapped at her. "Allah rest their souls," he tacked on.

Anna frowned at this. She knew Dr. Bey didn't have the greatest feelings toward Evy but he didn't have to be that mean. He could be stuck with Jonathan (whom Anna met once when he tried to get Evy to sell something he found in the desert.)

"Now," Dr. Bey said, "I don't care _how_ you do it. I don't care how long it takes. Straighten up this _mishiver_!" And he stormed back to his office.

"Rude," Anna said when he had gone.

She approached Evy who looked slightly deflated now that her boss ripped her a new one. "Don't worry Evy. I'll help you clean up." She gave Evy one of her large smiles and Evy returned it.

"Thank you Anna."

However, before they could start the both of them jumped when they heard a thudding nose coming from one of the exhibit rooms. Evy went first with Anna following.

"Hello?" Evy called into the empty room with no response. Evy cautiously walked into the room with Anna still on her heels. "Abdul?" Evy said. "Mohammed? Bob?"

There was still no response but a soft thud came from on the sarcophagus. Anna reached for Evy's hand and Evy took it. Together, the approached the sarcophagus where a soft light emanated. As they reached it, the mummy inside popped up with a shriek!

Anna and Evy screamed with Anna leaping back and nearly falling to the ground. Inside the sarcophagus, a pair of legs appeared up and she heard laughing coming from the mummy. A smiling man sat up, grinning at the fright he just caused.

It was Jonathan. Evy's older brother.

He looked a lot like Evy, considering they were siblings, with receding brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a crumpled white suit, no doubt he had been drinking last night.

"Have you no respect for the dead?" Evy exclaimed as Jonathan put his arm around the mummy's shoulders.

"Of course I do!" Jonathan replied jovially. He propped the mummy's arm on the side. "But sometimes I'd rather like to join them."

"Rude," Anna said again when she regained use of her voice. She glanced back to the library and was relieved to see that Dr. Bey wasn't storming towards them again.

"Well I wish you'd do it sooner rather than later before you ruin my career the way you ruined yours," Evy snapped at him as she put the mummy's arm back inside its sarcophagus. She slapped Jonathan across the face. "Now _get out_."

"My dear, sweet, baby sister!" Jonathan said as he clambered out of the sarcophagus."I'll have you know that at this precise moment my career's on a high note!"

Anna let out a loud snort at this. Despite this being the second time she was meeting him, she knew Jonathan spent most of his time drinking and gambling.

"Nice to see you too, Anna." Jonathan said pointedly. Anna merely waved back. She hadn't quite forgiven Jonathan for the scare. She would in a few minutes.

"I'm really not in the mood for you right now," Evy said. "I just made a bit of a mess in the library and the Bembridge Scholars rejected my application form again." She sat down on a stature base looking forlorn. "They say I don't have enough experience in the field."

Anna slid in next to Evy and patted her shoulder reassuringly. Evy sent in her forms almost monthly but was rejected time and time again. Anna would always watch almost in pain as Evy wrote out her form neatly and sent it in the mail. If only Evy knew the wonders of email.

Jonathan knelt down in front of Evy. "You'll always have me, old mum." He said.

And in that moment, Anna knew Evy forgave Jonathan as she chuckled and touched his forehead with hers.

"Besides, I have just the thing to cheer you up!" He exclaimed and returned to the sarcophagus and started to dig through it.

Evy shook her head. "Oh no, Jonathan. Not another worthless trinket. If I have to take one more piece of junk to the curator to try and... sell... for you."

Jonathan held a small box-like object under Evy's nose. Anna leaned in for a closer look. There were jagged shapes on top like puzzle pieces and all along the outer edges were hieroglyphics.

"Where did you get this?" Evy breathed out as she took it.

"On a dig down in... Thebes," Jonathan said. "My whole life I've never found anything, Evy. Please tell me I found something."

Evy twisted the box and the top popped open revealing yellowed parchment inside. "Jonathan," Evy said quietly. "I think you found something."

She pulled the parchment out and opened it. There were various symbols on it and all of them had white lines going to the center were the image of a Pharaoh was.

"Is that a map?" Anna tilted her head. "It looks like a map."

"I recognize that cartouche," Evy murmured. She handed the box to Jonathan who pocketed it.

"What is it?" Anna asked.

Instead, Evy stood up. "We need to show this to Dr. Bey."

"You think this a good idea?" Anna said as she and Jonathon followed behind Evy into the library.

Jonathan whistled at the mess in the library. "Wow. How did you manage this?"

Evy ignored both of them and strode right into Dr. Bey's office.

"Miss Carnahan." His eyes flickered to Jonathan and Anna right behind Evy. "Mr. Carnahan. Miss Campbell. Have you fixed my library?"

"Nevermind that," Evy interrupted. "Look at this." She handed him the paper and he took out a magnifying glass and examined the paper.

"You see the cartouche there," She explained and pointed at a spot. "It's the official royal seal of Seti the First. I'm sure of it."

"Perhaps." Dr. Bey didn't sound convinced as he put the magnifying piece down.

"Two questions," Jonathan said. "Who the hell is Seti the First and was he rich?"

"He was the second pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty and said to be the wealthiest pharaoh of them all,"  
Evy told him.

Jonathan grinned. "Good. I like this fellow. I like him _very much._"

"I've already dated the map," Evy continued. "It's almost three-thousand years old and if you look at the hieratic just here..." she touched a spot in the lower right corner. "Well, it's Hamunaptra."

The moment the word "Hamunaptra" came from Evy's mouth, Anna's knees buckled. In an instant, she saw an altar in her mind's eye with a dark-clothed woman lying atop of it surrounded by little jars. Above her, a tall, bald man was reading something aloud from a book.

But as quickly as the image came, it was gone.

"Hamunaptra's a myth told by ancient Arab storytellers to amuse Greek and Roman tourists," Dr. Bey was saying.

"Yes, yes," Evy said impatiently. "I know all the blather about the city being protected by the curse of a mummy but my research has led me to believe that the city once actually existed."

"Are we talking about _the_ Hamunaptra?" Jonathan asked, a gleam in his eye.

"Yes." Evy grinned at him. "The City of the Dead. Where the earliest pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt."

"I-in a big underground treasure chamber," Jonathan said dreamily.

Dr. Bey laughed in derision.

"Oh come on!" Jonathan groaned. "Everybody knows the story. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand on the pharaoh's command. Flick a switch and the whole place would disappear beneath the sand dunes, taking the treasure with it."

"I don't," Anna said quietly. It was the first thing she said since entering the office. "Know the story, that is."

"You're new in town," Jonathan told her. "I'll tell you the story later."

Dr. Bey held the map up to look at it more closely and little bit closer to his candle, Anna noted. "As the Americans would say it's all fairy tales and hokum and—_oh my goodness_!" The map was on fire and Dr. Bey quickly threw it to the floor.

Anna leapt into action as she knelt on the floor to put out the fire. Jonathan and Evy joined her and they quickly stamped out of the fire with their hands. But the damage was down. The part of the map that had Hamunaptra on it was gone.

"You burnt it! You burnt off the part with the lost city!" Jonathan cried.

"It's for the best," Dr. Bey said calmly. "Many men have wasted their lives searching for Hamunaptra. No one's ever found it. Most have never returned," he finished eerily.

"We should go," Anna said to Evy.

The Carnahan siblings both left the office in a stunned rage. Anna made to follow them but she hesitated for a moment.

She turned back to look at Dr Bey who seemed quite... relieved about something? "Yes?" He asked when he noticed her starting at him.

She opened her mouth to say something but the words couldn't form themselves. "Nothing," she said sullenly and left.

-x-

The siblings were groaning about the destruction of the map outside when Anna joined them. "There's no way we can get there without the rest of the map!" Evy was saying.

Next to her, Jonathan was shuffling nervously. "We might be able to..." He said.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"Well, we could ask the person who owned the box before me," he said without looking at Evy. He seemed to pretty interested in the statue next to the museum.

"The person who owned it before you?" Evy repeated. Anna could see the pieces connecting in her head.

"You stole it, didn't you?" Anna asked coolly.

Evy exploded. "You did what?" She shrieked loudly causing some people to stare at the trio.

"Well, stole is a strong word," Jonathan said lamely. "More like borrowed."

But within seconds the story came out. It seemed Jonathan had stolen the box from a man at a bar and this man was currently in prison. "Which prison?" Evy demanded and Jonathan told her which one.

"Anna," Evy said as she turned to the younger girl. "Will you go wait at my apartment while me and my brother sort this out?"

"Can't I go with you?" Anna whined.

"No," Evy said sharply. "The prison is no place for someone as young as you. We won't be long."

"Okay," Anna said in defeat. There was no use arguing with Evy when she set her mind to something. And now she was especially stubborn because of Jonathan.

She kicked at a loose pebble before heading back to Evy's apartment. Along the way, she thought about the strange vision she had in Dr. Bey's office. Though she had no evidence, she was sure the place she saw was Hamunaptra. But who had been the people?

Without looking, she waved at Aaliyah who called at her to join her for tea sometime and entered Evy's apartment.

She pulled her hijab off and dug through Evy's books, looking for a mythology one. If Hamunaptra was myth, there would have to be a story on it, right?

She thumbed through the book but only found a small section of the lost city of Hamunaptra. It all said what Evy said earlier: the city was said to hold the wealth of the early pharaohs. But the city had been cursed by a mummy and no one had ever found the city.

Anna slammed the book shut and threw it across the room. Instantly, she felt bad and retrieved the book, putting it back on the shelf. She shouldn't abuse Evy's things. Not after everything Evy had done for her.

She pulled our her Arabic and began practicing to take her mind off things but her mind kept wandering. She stared at a small clock on the wall and watched the second hand tick by.

_Tick, tick, tick, tick..._

There was a sharp pain in her head and she saw a woman walking down a long, golden hallway; her red robes billowed out behind her as she did. The woman passed another woman, this one dressed scantily in nothing but a loin cloth and body paint.

The painted woman merely glanced at the other woman as if she were an annoyance and kept walking while the other woman stopped and turned around. "Anck-su-namun," she called.

Anna gasped. With exception of a darker skin tone, the woman looked just like an older Anna. She even had the same blue eyes. And those eyes were gazing at this other woman in what looked like sadness.

The painted woman, now known as Anck-su-namun, turned. "Iset," she said in clipped tones. She was obviously not pleased to be taking to this Iset.

And then the vision was gone. Anna trembled as she felt her stomach flip-flop. What the hell was happening?

But she had no time to ponder this newest vision because the door opened and Evy flew into the room. "Start packing, Anna!" She announced. "We're going to Hamunaptra!"

Anna blinked owlishly at her. "We are?" She said slowly.

"Yes," Evy said. "We found someone to take us. We leave tomorrow."

Another blink. "We are?"

A part of Anna wanted to be happy for Evy. But another part of her was filled with dread. Something dangerous waited for them in Hamunaptra but she didn't know what.

-x-

**The plot thickens! And it only gets more dangerous as Anna gets on a boat and meets their American guide and their American rivals.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, I hope you're enjoying this.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter three!**


	3. The Boat Ride

For the trip Anna packed most of her belongings: clothes (mostly the harem pants she bought from the bazaar) and some books so she could study her Arabic. The journey would give her a chance to practice.

As for the boat ride she opted for black harem pants, a blue blouse, and a blue hijab. Honestly, she had been so excited when she found someone willing to sell pants to her. No offense to Evy but those long skirts were not ideal for her, especially since she spent most of her life wearing pants or jeans.

They met up Jonathan and together, the three of them walked into the bustling port.

Anna caught sight of their boat: it was nicer than she expected. It was like an old fashioned yacht she saw in the bay back home in San Francisco. But she grimaced when she saw men lead horses and camels aboard. _It's not going to smell nice, that's for sure._ Anna thought.

"So what's this guide's name?" Anna asked. She assumed this was the man whom Jonathan had stolen the box from and had been in prison.

"Rick O'Connell," Jonathan answered, rubbing at a spot on his white suit. "An American, like yourself."

"Oh?" An excited feeling grew in Anna's stomach. She had only met English people so far. No Americans.

"Do you really think he's going to show up?" Evy asked, her eyes darting around as if looking for someone. Probably their guide.

"Yes," Jonathan replied, "undoubtedly, knowing my luck. He may be a cowboy but I know the breed. His word is his word."

This O'Connell man was sounding more and more interesting by the minute. Anna was eager to meet him.

"Well, personally, I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit," Evy declared.

"Anyone I know?" A fourth person came up from behind them and they all turned.

Anna didn't know what Evy meant by filthy. Rick O'Connell was clean-shaven, his brown hair neatly cut and swept back, and his clothes were pristine. In fact, the only thing that looked dirty was the large bag he was carrying. But even Anna could not deny that Rick O'Connell was very, very handsome.

Evy seemed to have the same train of thought. She looked Rick up and down, at a loss for words. "Um, hello," she said.

_Is she blushing? Or is it just the heat?_ Anna wondered idly. No, she was pretty sure Evy was blushing at the sight of Rick O'Connell.

"Smashing start of an adventure, eh O'Connell?" Jonathan lightly punched Rick on the chest.

"Yeah, smashing." Rick reached into his pocket as if checking to make sure something was still there.

"Oh I'd never steal from a partner, partner." Jonathan reassured him.

Rick smiled but Anna could tell he wasn't convinced. "That reminds me. No hard feelings about the—" he mimed punching Jonathan in the face.

"Oh no." Jonathan waved it off. "Happens all the time."

Anna chuckled.

Rick nodded. His blue eyes landed on Anna. "And this is?"

"Anna Campbell." Anna stuck her hand out and Rick shook it once with a firm grip. "I guess you could say I'm kinda like Evy's assistant."

"Right," Rick said.

"Mr. O'Connell," Evy said sternly, getting back to business. "Can you look me in the eye and guarantee me this isn't some kind of a flimflam? Because if it is, I am warning you—"

"You're warning me?" Rick interrupted. He stared at Evy coolly. "Listen lady, my whole damn garrison believed in this so much that, without orders, they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand and blood. Now let me get your bags." He picked up Evy's bags and without looking at them, marched onto the boat.

"Well he's charming," Anna remarked. But she couldn't help smiling. She liked this Rick O'Connell. Something about him just screamed _safe_ to her.

"Yes you're right," Jonathan said to Evy. "Filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel; nothing to like there at all."

Evy said nothing but merely glanced back at her brother. Anna's smile got bigger. _Oho, someone's got a crush,_ she thought wickedly.

"Bright, good morning to all." Someone else showed up.

This time it was a short, fat man who looked dirty all over and wearing a red fez. Anna's nose crinkled in disgust when she caught a whiff of him. He smelled like he hadn't washed in _days_. His beady little eyes racked over her and Anna subconsciously shivered.

Evy, it seemed, had a similar idea. "Oh no," she groaned. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The man was already boarding the ship. "I'm here to protect my investment. Thank you _very_ much."

Evy groaned again. As soon as the man was on the ship, Anna turned to the siblings. "Who was _that_?"

"Warden Hassan," Evy replied. "In order to get O'Connell out of prison, I told him he could have twenty-five percent of what we find in Hamunaptra."

"Lovely."

-x-

Anna put her things in a small room next to Evy's and spent her time exploring the boat. Which didn't take very long considering it was full of people and animals. For the most part, she just watched the river as they sailed by.

But soon she got hungry and she ventured around looking for something to eat. She managed to scrounge up some fruit before she found Jonathan sitting at a table with three other men playing poker.

"Ah, Anna!" Jonathan exclaimed as she approached. "Sit down, sit down. I could use some luck."

"Uh, I don't think I'm particularly lucky," Anna said but sat down in the chair the blond man pulled out for her.

"And who are you, little lady?" The blond smiled at her. He had an old cowboy look to him: brown vest over white shirt, a scarf, and chewing on tobacco. All he was missing was a stetson.

"Anna," she said.

"I'm Henderson." He pointed at the man with the short, dark hair and the one cleaning his glasses. "This is Burns." And then to the other man with the dark hair and wearing a tie. "And Daniels."

"Pleasure to meet you," Anna said politely. While it was interesting to meet some more Americans, she wasn't particularly excited to watch them play poker. She gave a look at Jonathan, telling him she wanted to leave. But he didn't seem to get the message. So she resigned herself to watching the men play poker until she could find a good way to leave without seeming rude.

"Maybe we should deal her in," Henderson joked. He winked at her.

"Sorry," Anna said, giving him an apologetic smile. "I don't know how to play poker. But I know how to play Texas Hold 'Em," she added brightly.

She was met with four blank stares. Five if she was counting the man sitting behind Henderson reading something and smoking. "Texas what?" Henderson asked.

She sunk back into her chair, wanting to disappear. "Nevermind," she mumbled. "I guess it's not a thing yet."

Henderson dealt the next hand and she watched with little interest.

"Tell me, Miss Anna," Burns said halfway through their next hand hand. "What part of the States are you from?"

"San Francisco," Anna replied. She looked over to Jonathan's hand: three tens, the jack of diamonds, and the queen of diamonds.

"And how did you end up here?" Burns prodded. "Not many Americans come this way. Most of them are having too much fun in the cities." The way his lip curled in disgust told Anna he wasn't particularly fond of the Jazz Era.

"Uh, the Carnahans are an old family friend of my father," Anna lied. She and Evy had gone over a story in case anyone asked. It wouldn't do if she told them she just ended up in Egypt by mistake. "My parents died in the earthquake so my grandmother thought it would be grand if I went to England for school but she never realized I would end up here when Evy took a job in Cairo."

Jonathan gave her a weird look and opened his mouth to say something but she discreetly kicked him. He winced and closed his mouth.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," Burns said. "The earthquake was terrible."

"I was little. I don't remember it."

Of course she didn't remember it. The great earthquake in San Francisco happened in 1906. Anna had been born in 1995. Which was sixty-nine years from then, she thought with a grimace.

The men played two more rounds and then Burns took his time to clean his glasses before cutting the deck. "Quit playing with your glasses and cut the deck, would ya Burns?" Daniels said, irritated.

"Without my glasses I can't see the deck to cut it, can I Dave?" Burns quipped.

"O'Connell, O'Connell!" Jonatha said enthusiastically and Anna looked up to see Rick standing behind them. "Sit down, we could use another player."

"I only gamble with my life, never my money," Rick declined.

"Never?" Daniels challenged. "What if I was to bet you five hundred dollars we get to Hamunaptra before you?"

"You're looking for Hamunaptra?" Anna asked, stunned. Who had told them? Her eyes shifted over to look at Jonathan who seemed to be looking at his cards intently.

"Damn straight we are," Henderson grinned at her.

"And who says _we_ are?" Rick asked.

Confirming her suspicions, all three Americans pointed at Jonathan. "He does," they said simultaneously.

Anna resisted the urge to slam her head on the table. Jonathan chuckled and gave Rick a guilty look and Rick just glared at him.

"Well, how 'bout it?" Daniels asked. "Is it a bet?"

Rick pondered for a moment. "Alright, you're on," he said at last.

"What makes you so confident sir?" The man sitting behind them asked. He must be with the Americans judging by his demeanor.

"What makes you?" Rick deflected.

"We got ourselves a man who's actually been there," Henderson said smugly.

"Well what a coincidence because O'Connell—" Jonathan was interrupted by Anna violently kicking him in the leg again and Rick smacking him in the back with his large bag. He coughed and cleared his throat. "Who's play is it? Is it mine? I thought I just played."

"Gentlemen," Rick nodded to the three. "We got us a wager. Good evening, _Jonathan._" He gripped Jonathan's shoulder rather harshly and Jonathan waved goodbye.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night," Anna announced as Rick left. She leapt up from the table. "Pleasure meeting you three. Have a good night." She didn't wait for any goodbyes before she was scurrying away from the table.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding once she was back in her room. Those Americans and Rick reminded her of a home she missed deeply. And a fear twisted in her gut when she looked at them. A fear for them.

Anna shook her head and slapped her cheeks lightly. "Loosen up, Anna," she told herself.

She undressed and put on a black night gown. She didn't go to bed straight away but tried reading a little but was brought of her reverie when she heard a sharp gasp come from Evy's room.

Anna exited her room and headed towards Evy's. She cautiously opened the door and had to stifle a gasp. A man in black robes had her by the throat, a sharp-looking hook held to her face.

"Where is the map?" He asked her.

"There," Evy nodded towards a place in her room.

"And the key?" He asked. "Where is the key?"

"Key?" Evy asked, confused. "What key?"

Anna heard footsteps behind her and she whipped around to see Rick striding towards her. He took one look at her terror-stricken face before he pulled out his guns. "Evelyn," he shouted and kicked the door open.

Anna took cover behind Rick as he entered the room, his guns pointed at the man holding Evy. But the window on the other side opened up to reveal another black-robed man. And this one was holding a gun.

Rick turned, Anna making sure to press tightly against his back, and fired at the man. He hit him multiple times but one of his bullets connected with a lamp. It burst into flame and fell onto the sofa.

Anna heard someone scream in pain before Evy joined her behind Rick. The two of them practically flung themselves into the hallway, Rick following them, still shooting into the room. Anna and Evy took off down the hall.

Evy stopped shortly and turned back. "The map! The map! I forgot the map!" She screamed.

Rick stopped her by grabbing onto her arm. "Relax," he said. "I'm the map. It's all up here." He pointed to his head.

"Well that's comforting," she snapped.

"Just go!" Anna pleaded. She could feel the heat from the fire from where they were.

They entered the deck where Rick stopped them. He shoved the bag into Evy's chest. "Hold this," he ordered.

He pressed himself against the wall and re-loaded his gun. But as he did so, more men shot at them and bullet holes appeared in the wall. And if Evy hadn't pulled him away at the last second, he would have been shot.

Rick growled and pulled out his second gun and turned the corner, shooting. Evy stayed close to him and Anna stayed close to Evy. There were a total of three men shooting at them and by the time they reached the railing of the boat, Rick had cleared them off.

He put his guns back in his holsters and turned to Evy. "Can you swim?" He yelled.

"Of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it!" Evy shouted back.

Rick took his bag back and set it down. "Trust me," he said as he picked Evy up and threw her overboard into the water, "it calls for it!"

He turned to Anna. "Can you swim?" He asked and she nodded. He picked her up too. "You next."

"Wait, I can—!" She didn't get to finish when Rick let go of her and she hit the water, barely missing Evy.

"I can't believe he did that!" Evy shrieked in rage when Anna surfaced.

"Would you rather climb back aboard?" Anna shouted at her as they swam for the shore.

She turned around to watch the burning boat as people and animals jumped off the boat. Someone approached her in the water. It was Rick, followed by the Warden. "Keep swimming," he ordered.

Anna didn't need to be told twice and swam hard for the shore. Before long, they were joined by Jonathan and were trudging up the bank, dripping wet.

"We lost everything," Evy lamented. "All our tools, all our equipment. All my clothes!"

That's right, Anna's heart sank. Practically everything she owned had been on that ship. She had been left with nothing again. She sniffed, fighting off tears of frustration. Just when she thought she had found her footing, the ground was taken away from her again.

"O'CONNELL!" She heard someone scream from across the river. "HEY, O'CONNELL! IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE I'VE GOT ALL THE HORSES!"

"HEY BENI," Rick roared back. "LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RI-VER!"

He turned back to them. "Let's go," he said.

Anna smiled, feeling cheered. Whoever this Beni was was going to have a grand old time getting to their side of the river.

-x-

**And that concludes chapter three! And Anna's met Rick and the Americans, giving her a taste of home. But trouble lays ahead in the desert. And so are more black-robed riders.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love. See ya in chapter four!**


	4. Journey Through the Desert

To their luck they found a village not far from the river and the people there were glad to take them in for the night and give them supplies for their journey. Evy and Anna had been brought into a tent owned by some of the women were only happy to give them a bath and some new clothes.

"Your hair is so soft," a woman exclaimed as she braided Anna's hair.

"_Thank you,_" Anna said in her best Arabic.

They had given her a black dress with silver trim. While the bodice and shirt were just fabric, her arms were only covered by a sheer material. And finally, one of them kindly wrapped a black hijab around her head. "The sun is hot," she said.

"Yes it is," Anna said truthfully.

"But if you do not mind," the woman said and picked up something, "would you allow me to put kohl around your eyes?"

Anna brightened at that. "_Please do_!" She said in Arabic. She missed makeup so much.

The woman carefully rimmed her eyes with the black coal and gave her a tiny mirror to examine herself. The kohl made her blue eyes vivid. "_Thank you,_" Anna said.

Evy joined her moments later, wearing a dress similar to Anna's. Her eyes had been done too but she wore a veil and a piece of fabric over her head and back.

"You look stunning," Evy told Anna as she looked the young woman over head to toe. "A beautiful, young woman."

Anna flushed as the woman brought them out to where Rick and Jonathan were leading their camels.

"We could have gotten them for free," Anna heard Rick say. "All we had to do was give him your sister."

"Awfully tempting, wasn't it?" Jonathan joked.

By this time, Anna and Evy reached them and now it was Rick's turn to be speechless. He looked Evy up and down. "Awfully," he muttered, looking away from Evy's gaze.

Evy smiled bashfully.

_And now he has a crush,_ Anna snickered to herself. _Five bucks say they kiss before this thing's over._

Once the camels were saddled, everyone began to climb aboard their own. But Anna was hesitant about approaching hers (a big white one.) "Don't camels spit?" She asked nervously.

"Not on you as long as you aren't in front of them." Evy sat comfortably atop hers.

Anna gingerly patted the camel's neck and eyed the saddle on top. "Here." Rick lifted her like she weighed nothing and helped her clamber into her saddle. He handed the rope and a stick that would help keep the animal on track to her.

"Thanks," Anna said. But she still felt nervous sitting atop the camel.This was her first time riding any animal.

Rick settled into his own saddle and clicked his tongue, spurring the camel on. With a lurch, Anna's camel followed. And then they were on their way into the desert.

She found it easier to wear a dress atop a camel rather than a horse. She was perched closer to the camel's neck so her legs weren't spread as wide. But she followed Evy's example and rolled the hem of her dress high enough to give her legs room.

And if Anna had any doubts about wearing black in the desert, they were quickly dashed. Her dress gave her legs room to breathe when it was windy and the sheer material on her arms kept her safe from the sun and cool with the wind.

The only thing Anna couldn't get used to was sleeping while riding her camel (whom she named Fuzzy because of his fuzzy head.) Though she was tired, she kept awake in the cool of the desert and rode her camel beside Rick.

"Can't sleep?" He asked as she came up beside him.

Anna shook her head. "No. It's not comfortable sleeping atop a moving camel."

"You'll get used to it after a week out here." He jerked his head towards the snoring Warden. "By then you'll be sleeping like him."

"I hope not," Anna said sharply. She had no desire to be like the Warden in any way. _Vile little man… _She'd seen him staring at her and Evy.

Rick chuckled.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Rick changed the subject. "But where are you from?"

"San Francisco," Anna receited automatically. "But I've been staying with Evelyn for quite a few years."

"You miss it?"

Anna stared at him, unable to form words. "More than you know," she said quietly.

As if sensing her unspoken agony, he changed the subject again. "Tell me about that tattoo."

Her nightgown and her dress did little to hide the small sugar skull tattooed into her skin. Anna glanced down at it before looking back to Rick. "It's called a _Calavera_ or a sugar skull," she explained. "They're brightly decorated skulls made with cane sugar for the Day of the Dead celebration."

"Day of the Dead celebration?" Rick repeated. "Doesn't sound very celebratory."

Anna laughed. "I suppose at first it does not. But it's a Mexican holiday where we honor the dead for three days."

It was funny for her to talk of the Day of Dead when they were heading to the City of the Dead. For sharing a common word, they were two completely different things.

"We? I didn't know you were Mexican."

"My _Abuela—_Grandmother is. She was born in Mexico. Her husband, my grandfather was an American soldier during the Border Wars. He met her towards the end of the war and brought her home with him."

She knew that story from her mother. Grandpa met her when his platoon came through her village. _Abuela_ had been enamored by the handsome foreigner, left her friends and family and Mexico for America, and married him.

It sounded romantic until Anna learned about the Korean War in school. The soldiers there took thousands of Korean women home as wives and many of the women became malcontent with their new lives in America. Many spoke of missing their families back in Korea and had strong desires to return home.

And suddenly, _Abuela's_ story didn't seem so romantic anymore. All the confusing interactions between her grandparents suddenly became clear.

There were times, she remembered _Abuela_ shouting at her grandfather in Spanish before retreating to her bedroom. Some of those times, little Anna climbed the stairs to listen at the door only to hear _Abuela _crying.

She supposed, like the Korean women, _Abuela _longed for Mexico.

There were no mementos or signs of Mexican culture in her grandparents' house. _Abuela_ had been strictly Roman Catholic, Anna remembered, but her grandfather was Presbyterian and he forbid all signs of Catholicism in his house.

But Anna remembered seeing a small crucifix, rosary, and votive candle in the back of _Abuela's_ closet a few times. And often, behind her husband's back, she would recite Catholic prayers. She even carried a small picture of _Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe_, the Virgin Mary, in her purse.

Anna always wondered if her religion was all she had left of Mexico. Her daughter, Anna's mother, knew no Spanish and nothing of Mexico. _Abuela's_ heritage seemed to have ended with her own self.

At first glance, no one could tell Anna had Mexican heritage. Her skin was pale and her eyes bright blue thanks to the European heritage from her father. Even her mother was blonde and blue-eyed. The only thing she could suppose she had gotten from _Abuela_ was her thick, blackish-brown hair.

And it had only been after her _Abuela _died when she was eleven did Anna research Mexican culture. She wanted a small piece of it she could claim as her own, to show her _Abuela_ something of her home lived on.

But she'd probably have a heart attack if she saw the sugar skull tattoo on Anna. They were heavily frowned upon in Catholicism.

"Anna?" Anna startled as Rick said her name. She hadn't realized she drifted off with her thoughts just then.

"Sorry," she said. "I got lost in thought."

"Get some rest," he simply said and pulled his camel ahead.

It was only as her thoughts began to fade did she realize that the Border War ended in 1919, only seven years ago. If Rick knew that, he hadn't mentioned it.

-x-

Anna's inability to sleep at night stretched far into their journey. At times she could nap for an hour or two but she'd awaken every time Fuzzy made sudden movements.

"You should really try to get some sleep," Rick told her one night as she rode up beside him. He said that every night when she traveled alongside him.

Evy had already dozed off and her head lolled against Rick's shoulder. He pushed her away.

"It's still uncomfortable," Anna replied. "I can sleep when we get there, yeah?" She was excited to sleep on the ground once again. She tried getting Rick to stop to make camp but he insisted that they ride straight through, only taking rests for the camels.

Rick merely shrugged his shoulders. Evy had told her a few days ago that Rick wasn't too keen on returning to Hamunaptra. He believed something evil was there. And Anna felt inclined to agree with him even though she had never been there. She never heard of it until a week ago.

And yet she still had a deep wrenching feeling in her gut whenever she thought about Hamunaptra.

She opened her mouth to say something but something in the distance caught her eye. Above them, high on a cliff, several riders were standing there. A shiver went up her spine. It was like they were watching them.

"Who are they?" Anna pointed at the riders.

Rick looked to where she was pointing. "I saw them last time," he said. "But I don't know who they are"

Anna had a sneaking suspicion they might find out soon. "Looks like they're wearing black." She squinted but it was heard to tell in the dark. "Do you think they might be affiliated with the men from the boat?"

"Could be." Rick turned to her. "Be on your guard while we're there. You hear me?"

Anna nodded. "Of course."

"No wandering unless you inform me or Evelyn where you're going." He paused for a second. "Better yet, no going anywhere unless you're with me."

Rick had seemed a little bit more protective since he found out Anna was only nineteen and she shared her story about her tattoo several nights ago. She didn't mind. It was kind of like having a big brother who toted guns everywhere. A gun-toting, big brother; she liked the sound of that.

"Not even if I go use the bathroom?" She teased.

"Then you're taking Evelyn with you."

She managed to doze off for the night and only woke when dawn was about to break. She heard a horse whinny in the distance and for a moment she thought the riders in black had caught up with them. She twisted in her seat to look behind her but saw nothing

But it was the Americans who had come from the other side of a cliff, all riding horses. They were led by a skinny, weaselly-looking man atop a camel wearing a red fez.

"Good morning, my friend," the man on the camel called, sneering at Rick.

They pulled up alongside the large group and stopped. Anna looked around but all she saw was desert.

"What the hell we doin'?" Daniels asked rudely.

"Patience, my good _barat'm_," the man on the camel said. "Patience."

Henderson leaned forward on his horse, chewing on what Anna suspiciously thought was tobacco. "Remember our bet, O'Connell. First one to the city, five hundred cash bucks!"

"Hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet," Daniels said to their guide.

The small man smiled. "It would be my pleasure." He turned to their group. "Hey, O'Connell," he sneered. "Nice camel.

Rick said nothing but just patted his camel on its head.

"Get ready for it," He said to Evy and Anna.

"For what?" Evy asked.

"We're about to be shown the way," he replied.

The sun rose on the horizon and, to Anna's disbelief, an entire cliff side appeared before their very eyes. Her gaze landed on and empty spot to see a ruin of a city nestled between the ciffs.

"Oh my god." Anna's jaw dropped open.

"Can you believe it?" Henderson whistled.

"Hamunaptra," Burns said gleefully.

Everyone sprung into action. The Americans kicked their horses into a run while Rick and Evy spurred their camels into action.

Anna followed suit. "Hut, hut, hut!" She tapped Fuzzy with her stick and he took off at a run.

The feeling of running through the desert on a camel was _wonderful_. A large grin broke out as she galloped past Henderson and Daniels. "Let's go Fuzzy!" She cried.

Ahead of her, she saw the thin man hitting Rick with his stick. But Rick grabbed him by the collar. "So long. Beni!" She heard Rick yell as he threw him off his camel.

"And it serves you right!" Evy shouted as she caught up with Rick.

Anna let out a loud laugh as she spurred Fuzzy on. Evy had taken the lead and Rick was right behind her. Fuzzy caught up to Rick but they were no match for Evy's camel as it galloped up a large ramp and into the city.

"Go Evy!" Anna cheered.

She and Rick entered the city next and found Evy fondly petting her camel. "That was amazing!" Anna said breathlessly. She pulled her hijab off, letting her hair spill free (she had taken it out of it's braid a few days ago.)

Henderson and Daniels came next, both looking glum. Anna giggled at the sight of their faces while Rick grinned. "Five hundred dollars," he said.

Henderson scoffed as he led his horse away while Daniels reluctantly handed a wad of cash over to Rick who pocketed it.

"What are you going to do with it?" Anna asked as Rick dismounted.

He came over and help Anna down. "Buy booze," he winked.

Anna laughed but winced as she stretched out her legs. Riding for a several days straight weakened her. She led Fuzzy away from the entrance before the rest of the Americans and their entourage showed up.

She looked up at the ruined pillars and to a statue of a black jackal god and swallowed the lump in her throat, all the fun sucked out of her. So this was Hamunaptra.

-x-

**What better way for Rick to prepare becoming a father than being overly protective of Anna? And I liked getting Rick and Anna to bond.**

**So now that they're in Hamunaptra, it's only a matter of time before the Medjai come back and the discovery of the mummy. What is in store for Anna.**

**One hell of an adventure, that's for sure.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter five!**


	5. Hamunaptra

"Where should we set up camp?" Anna asked Evy as she rejoined the older woman.

"There's an area in front of those doors," Evy said as they tied their camels to a pillar.

In the center of the ruin, there was indeed a large door that most likely led down into the city. "Is it the main entrance?"

"It's possible," Evy admitted. "No doubt we can find the rest of the statue of Anubis from there."

Unfortunately, as they approached the entrance, the Egyptologist came striding into view. "This is our campsite," he demanded.

"We got here first," Anna growled at him.

The Egyptologist glared at her. "I will not have women tell me where I cannot set up my camp. This area is ours and the door is mine to excavate."

Anna opened her mouth to argue but Evy tugged her away. "We'll let him throw his tantrum," she whispered to Anna. "We'll still find the book before he does."

They came to the front area where Rick and Jonathan were unloading the supplies from their camels. "This will be our campsite," Evy announced.

"Whatever you say," Rick handed some bags off to her and took his own duffle bag.

"He's selfish," Anna scowled at the American camp as she and Evy set up their tents; which were really only cloth on poles but it would shield the from most of the elements.

"He's just a sore loser," Evy said. But even she glared at the man as they passed him directing his diggers' work in the main door.

Evy had no choice but to lead them to the back of the city where a large statue was. Three thousands of years ago, it would have been a gleaming, black jackal statue but now it was the color of sand. The snout had been weathered away and it was missing its ear. "That's Anubis, yeah?" Anna asked.

"It is," Evy confirmed. "His legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a secret compartment containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra."

"Sounds joyous," Anna said as she examine the stature. Rick stood at the base of its statue and tied a rope around it and attempted to hit the Warden with the rope end as he snoozed against another statue.

"Ooh," Evy exclaimed and picked something large and round from the ground. "Ancient mirrors." She began to wipe it down with a handkerchief she took from Jonathon.

Before Anna could be roped into cleaning duty, she moved over to the hole they would be rappelling down into in a few minutes. Across the way, Rick approached Evy and handed her a leather-bound case. She grinned as Rick bashfully walked away.

The hole was dark and she couldn't see how far down it went. She knelt and picked up the rope.

Anna heard a sharp ringing sound and her vision blurred. The woman who looked like Anna stood in a large empty room.

"It's done," Someone came up from behind her.

The Anna-look-a-like turned around. "Good," She said simply.

"Hey." Anna jumped, startled to find Rick with his hand on her shoulder. "I'm going in first," He told her as he took the rope from her.

"I'm not arguing." Anna held her hands up. She still wasn't particularly keen on going down there anyway.

"Hey look for bugs. I hate bugs," Warden Hassan said as Rick went down into the hole.

In a few seconds, Rick called up to them telling them it was safe. Evy went next and Anna right after. Anna clung onto the rope as she slowly and clumsily lowered herself down. Rick grabbed onto her once she was in reach and set her down. "Can we use the door next time?" Anna asked as she shook her hands, trying to get the feeling back in them.

"Probably not," Rick said as Jonathan came down.

"You realize we're standing in a room no one's been in for three thousand years?" Evy said in hushed tones.

"I can believe it." Anna glanced at the cobwebs and hoped there weren't any poisonous spiders around. California had some poisonous animals but she was sure Egypt had more and they were deadly.

"Oh, what is that God-awful _stench_?" Jonathan asked as he landed on the ground. He and Anna looked at Warden Hassan who was the last one to come down. "Oh," he said at last.

Evy went over to a mirror and wiped some cobwebs off of it. "And then there was light," she recited as it caught the sunbeam coming from the hole.

The light bounced off several more mirrors, lighting up the room. "Hey, that is a neat trick," Rick said, impressed.

"Oh my God. It's a sah-netjer!" Evy exclaimed.

"Bless you," Anna said.

"Huh?" Rick asked.

"A preparation room," Evy said.

"Preparation for what?" Rick asked again.

"For entering the afterlife," Evy said spookily.

Anna swallowed and shivered.

"Mummies, my good son. This is where they made the mummies." Jonathan lit another torch and they filed into a hallway. Rick at the lead followed by Evy then Anna then Jonathan and the Warden brought up the rear.

They walked slowly as not to disturb anything that might be resting. Anna prayed that there weren't any spiders or else she was hauling ass out of there and staying in her tent until they left. To her horror, there was a skittering sound as if a lot of bugs were passing them.

"What was that?" Anna said, her voice going up a pitch.

"Sounds like... bugs," Rick replied.

Evy turned to the two men behind Anna. "He said bugs!" She whispered harshly causing Warden Hassan to freak out.

"Where?" He said. "I hate bugs!"

"You and me both, buddy," Anna said under her beath. She winced when she realized she just agreed with the Warden on something.

They turned a corner and found themselves in a room that contained a statue that had legs running up to the ceiling. "The legs of Anubis," Evy said. "The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here."

But before they could examine the stature closely, a horrible moaning sound reached their ears. They pressed themselves against the statue as Rick crept towards the corner.Anna grabbed Evy's arm to steady herself.

He, Jonathan, and the Warden swung around the corner with their guns held high only to find the Americans pointing guns in their faces.

"You scared the bejesus out us, O'Connell," Henderson gasped.

"Likewise," Rick said as they all lowered their weapons.

"Hey," Burns spoke and he took a step towards Evy. "That's my tool kit!"

"I don't think so," Rick said as Evy clutched the kit tightly.

The guns were brought up again. "Okay," Burns said, staring at Rick's guns. "Perhaps I was mistaken."

"Well, have a nice day gentlemen," Evy said breezily. "We have a lot of work to be getting along with."

"Push off," the Eygptologist snarled. "This is our dig site."

"We got here first," Evy snarled right back.

And just like that the guns were up again.

"This here's our statue, _friend_," Daniels said.

"I don't see your name written on it, _pal_," Rick growled.

Anna rolled her eyes. She glanced at the ground to see a crack next to her feet. She nudged Evy who looked down and kicked a stone into a crack. They looked at each other and shared smiles.

"Yes, well, there's only five of you and fifteen of me," Beni sneered. "Your odds are not so great O'Connell."

Rick turned his guns towards Beni. "I've had worse," he spat.

"Yeah me too," Jonathan tacked on. Anna rolled her eyes again while Rick just gave him an incredulous look.

Now the two women had enough of the guys's little squabble. "Oh my god you guys are like children!" Anna exclaimed.

Evy also stepped in between the two groups. "For goodness sakes, children. If we're going to play together, we must learn to share." She put her hand on Rick's arm and gave him a hard look. "There are other places to dig," she said softly.

And like that, the guns went away. Anna's ears burned at the jeers the Americans tossed their way as they left the room. She wondered if flipping someone off was effective in this era but she didn't get a chance to try it as Evy led them deeper into Hamunaptra.

They found another room filled with smaller jackal statues. "It's here!" Evy announced triumphantly.

She set Rick and Jonathan to picking at the ceiling with their pickaxes wtih Evy supervising and Anna watching. "According to these hieroglyphics," Evy explained, "we're underneath the statue. We should come up right between his legs."

"And when those damn Yanks go to sleep—no offense," Jonathan said to Rick and Anna.

"None taken," Anna and Rick said at the same time.

"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them!"

"Are you sure we can find this secret compartment?" Rick asked as more sand fell from the ceiling.

"Oh yes, If those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it. No offense."

"None taken."

Jonathan, however, looked around. "Where'd our smelly little friend get to?"

"No idea. Lost, I'd bet," Anna said. "He'll make his way out. Hopefully." She wasn't fond of the Warden but she really hoped he didn't get himself caught in a booby trap or something.No one deserved to die down here.

After a while Rick and Jonathan began to tire and they took a break. Evy began telling Rick of how mummification worked in Ancient Egypt while Jonathan played golf with stones and their digging equipment while Anna watched.

"Let me get this straight," Rick interrupted Evy. "They ripped out your guts and stuffed them in jars?"

"Then they'd take our your heart as well. Oh, you know how they took our your brains?" She sounded way too excited about this.

"Evy, I don't think we need to know this." Jonathan voiced Anna's thoughts.

Evy ignored him. "They take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it your nose, scramble things about a bit, and rip it all out through your nostrils."

Anna touched her nose protectively. "Nope, nope nope," she muttered to herself. "Do not want."

"That's got to hurt," Rick said.

"It's called mummification, you'll be dead when they do this."

But Rick turned to Anna. "For the record, If I don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification."

"Likewise," Jonathan said and swung.

_CRASH_. Something large and heavy fell from the ceiling. Anna screamed and scrambled out of the way, choking on dust.

"Everyone alright?" Rick asked, coughing.

"I'm fine," Anna said and stood up, waving her arm to clear the air around her.

"Oh my god," Evy said when the dust cleared. "It's a sarcophagus." She looked up to the ceiling where a cavity was. "Buried at the base of Anubis. He must have been someone of great importance... or he did something very naughty."

Anna grabbed a brush from Evy's tool kit. "Then we should find out," she said and started to brush the sand away.

"Well who is it?" Jonathan asked as Anna revealed the hieroglyphics. With difficulty, Anna could read a bit of it but Evy looked over her shoulder.

"He That... Shall Not Be Named," Evy read aloud.

Anna was overcome by a fit of the giggles, earning stares from her companions. "Sorry," she wheezed out. _Oh my God, we found Voldemort!_ Oh that was gold!

Then she remembered J.K. Rowling hadn't been born yet and Harry Potter didn't exist and she sobered up immediately.

Rick blew on a spot on the side to reveal an intricate pattern cut into the sarcophagus. "This looks like some sort of lock."

"Well, whoever's in here sure wasn't getting out," Jonathan said.

"Yeah, no kidding." Rick looked at Anna and Jonathan. "It'll take us a month to crack in here without a key."

"A key..." Evy repeated before her face lit up. "A key! That's what he was talking about!" She bounded over to Jonathan's things.

"Who was talking about what?" Anna asked.

"The man. The man on the barge, the one with the hook. He was looking for a key." She returned with the box and Jonathan protested. She opened it and the box fit the lock perfectly. She smiled in triumph.

Their excitement was short lived when they heard screaming. They ran for the source to see the Warden holding his head and screaming. He ran past them and into a wall and fell down and didn't move again.

He was dead.

-x-

**So much for hoping no one would die on this trip. Suddenly this trip in search for treasure is no longer so innocent.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter six!**


	6. Night Raid

Jonathan and Rick buried the Warden outside the city while Anna and Evy huddled around their fire. It was the first time either of them saw someone die just like that and Anna was quite shaken. So much that Evy wrapped her arms around Anna and gave her a reassuring hug.

They ate a meager dinner as Jonathan joined them and Rick checked in with the Americans.

"What do you suppose killed him?" Evy finally spoke.

Anna groaned and pulled her blanket closer, trying to shut out the images of the Warden running straight into a wall. But the _crunching_ sound his body made when he hit the wall haunted her and she shivered.

"Did you ever see him eat?" Jonathan said.

Rick rejoined them and sat himself down next to Evy. "Seems that our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today," he announced. "Three of their diggers were uh, melted."

"_What_?" Anna choked. Oh she was so not going back down in there! She was staying in her tent for the rest of her trip. Treasure be damned.

"Salt acid. Pressurized salt acid. Some kind of ancient booby trap."Rick looked at the fire with a troubled expression.

"Maybe this place really is cursed," Jonathan surmised.

As if in response, the wind howled and the fire flickered. Anna whimpered while Rick and Jon looked around nervously.

"Oh for goodness' sake, you three!" Evy scolded.

"You don't believe in curses?" Rick asked.

"No, I don't!" Evy said fiercely. "If I can see and I can touch it, then it's real. That's what I believe."

Rick picked up his gun. "I believe in being prepared." He cocked it.

Jonathan reached over and picked up the Warden's bag. "Let's see what the Warden believed in."

"Are you sure that's wise," Anna murmured. "Digging through a dead man's things?"

"Relax Anna," Jonathan said smoothly.

He dug through the bag and let out a shocked cry, quickly pulling his hand of the bag like he'd been stung. Anna and Evy screamed. "Oh my god, what is it?" Evy cried.

"A broken bottle," her brother replied. He reach back in and pulled it out. "Glenlivet. Twelve years old!" Anna rolled her eyes and let out a huff of irritation. "He may have been a stinky fellow but he had good taste," Jonathan gleefully uncorked the bottle and took a sip.

Across the way, some horses whinnied and Anna felt a foreboding feeling spread in her gut. Rick looked up as well and handed his gun to Evy. "Take this. Stay here," he ordered.

Evy did not. She followed Rick. "No, wait, wait! Wait for me!"

"Evy!" Jonathan followed after her and Anna followed him. "Didn't the man just say "_stay here_"? Evy!"

They reached the Americans' camp in time to see black-robed riders galloping into the city, cutting down and shooting anyone in their path.

Anna screamed and scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by a horse. Rick picked her up. "Get somewhere safe and hide," he ordered as he took out his guns and took aim at an approaching rider.

"MR. HENDERSON!" She heard the Egyptologist scream in the distance. "WAKE UP!"

It became an all-out gun battle. Anna dove for cover, hiding behind a fallen pillar next to Jonathan. "Are you still drinking?" She shrieked as he shot at men while drinking from his bottle.

"If I die, I might as well be doing something I love!" He retorted. "And I love drinking!"

"You're going to get us killed!" Anna screamed at him.She pressed herself against the pillar when Jonathan lazily shot a rider passing by. "And now you're shooting while drunk, oh good!"

"You're welcome to go back in the tent! Or better yet, help!" Jonathan retorted.

"With what?" Anna argued back. "I don't know how to shoot a gun! And those guys are on horseback!"

Someone knocked into Anna's back and she nearly bashed her nose against the pillar. Beni, Rick's former friend, arrived and grabbed the bottle from Jonathan and took a large drink himself.

"SERIOUSLY?" Anna screamed again."What's with you people and alcohol?"

But Beni's eyes grew wide as he stared at something behind them. Anna followed his gaze and her heart thudded in terror as another rider rode towards them, a sword in his hand. Beni spit his drink into Jonathan's face, making the Englishman blink before seeing the man on the horse, and ran away with Jonathan hot on his heels.

Anna vaulted over the pillar and ran for it. But thundering hooves behind her told her the man on the horse was chasing her and there was no way she could outrun a horse. "_RIIIIIIICK_!" She wailed as loud as she could before she felt a hand grab at her shirt.

Her feet left the ground for a split second before she came crashing back down. She flipped onto her back in time to see Rick tackle the man off the horse, landing on a tent.

She scuttled away and tried to stand but lost her footing when a horse came thundering past and she went rolling in the sand. She stopped and looked up to see Rick battling the man who chased her down.

Rick deliberately put himself between the man in black and Anna, shielding her. In a flash, he pulled out his gun and shot at the man, hitting it just right and knocked his sword out of his hand. Another rider rode by and Rick shot at him, allowing his opponent to pull out out a dagger and knock his gun out of his hand.

Rick rolled backwards towards Anna, making her back up, and stuck something in the fire. He stood up, one arm out in front of Anna and holding something that was sparking in his other hand: a stick of dynamite.

The man stopped when he saw it. "Enough!" He shouted in a deep voice. "_Yallah_!"

The light caught his face and Anna got a good look at him: dark, curly hair, tattoos on his cheeks (high cheekbones, too), and brown eyes. _Oh no,_ she thought. _He's handsome._ He was more handsome than Tom Hiddleston!

Which was saying a lot because Anna _loved_ Tom Hiddleston.

"We will shed no more blood, but you must leave." His eyes rested on Anna behind Rick, still sprawled in the sand and breathing heavily. "Live this place or _die_." He picked up his sword as his men gathered to leave.

"You have one day!" He shouted to the as he got back on his horse. "_Yallah_! _Nimshi_!" He shouted and the mysterious men left.

Rick pulled Anna up and held her at arm's length. "You hurt?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head. "A little shaken up but I'm okay. But can you injure Jonathan and that Beni guy for me? They seem to think it's appropriate to drink while being attacked."

Rick chuckled and gave Anna's shoulders a squeeze before his gaze looked over to Evy lying on the sand and he went to help her up. "Are you alright?" He asked her softly as he checked her over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Evy replied as Rick pulled her into his embrace.

_And now kiss,_ Anna thought and she would be able to give herself five bucks. But they didn't because the Americans interrupted them.

"See that proves it!" Daniels exclaimed. "Old Seti's fortune has gotta be under this sand!"

"For them to protect it like this you know there's treasure down there," Henderson agreed.

"No," Rick said. He was still holding onto Evy she didn't seem to want to let go of him either. "These men are a desert people. They value water, not gold."

"Then what are they protecting?" Anna asked. But no one seemed to hear her.

Burns sidled up to Rick, half his face covered in shaving cream. "You know," he said, "maybe just at night we could, uh, combine force. Hm?"

"No," Rick said flatly and that was the end of that.

He gestured for Anna to follow them back to their campsite and she jogged to catch up. "You know the combining forces thing doesn't seem so bad when you think about it." She said when she caught up to Rick.

"We're not combining forces with the Americans. We can do just fine on our own," Rick replied.

"Right. You're the only one who knows how shoot a gun properly."

She looked back at the Americans who were tending to their wounded and dead and was slightly pleased to see a shell-shocked Egyptologist sitting by his tent.

She sat down around their fire and grabbed her blanket again.

Jonathan started nursing his bottle of liquor again though Evy managed to wrestle it away and take a swig.

"You're right, Anna," Rick announced.

"I am?" Anna asked, baffled.

"I'm going to teach you how to throw a punch."

"That seems like a good idea," Evy said, her cheeks pink. How much had she drank? "Knowing how to punch someone should prove excellent out here in case those men come back."

"Anna, you wanna get up here and try first?"

But Anna shook her head. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed. But some other time, sure."

She stood up and walked over to her tent, wishing everyone a good night.

She tossed and turned in her bed roll, thinking about the night's events and the handsome stranger. But she focused on his warning rather than his looks.

Tonight had been a warning. Against what, Anna didn't know. But her stomach did flip flops just thinking about what lay under the sand. Evy claimed a book of solid gold was somewhere down there while the Americans believed it was the treasure of an old pharaoh. Anyone would want to get their hands on it. But why were those men so dead set against them being here?

And as sleep overtook her, she had one last thought.

Would this treasure be worth it?

-x-

Anna dreamed she was in a tall, golden room. Nevermind that, she was actually standing _in_ a golden room. And the woman in the red robes, the one who looked just like her, was standing before her, her back to Anna.

The woman approached a balcony. "It is not too late," she said and Anna balked. The woman even _sounded_ like her just regal.

Anna walked towards the balcony and saw the woman addressing the bald man saw in her first vision. "Leave her now. She is promised to the Pharaoh. You _cannot_ have her."

The bald man turned to look at the Anna-lookalike and started to say something.

Anna's eyes opened to see the inside of her tent. Another dream of the mysterious lookalike. It was beginning to be a problem as it left her with another headache.

Her stomach rolled and Anna slowly sat up. She reached for her canteen and took a small sip of water. Water was precious so she had to be careful. She took another small sip and put the canteen away.

She exited her tent to find it was still night and Rick was tending to the fire. Jonathan was snoring away soundly and Evy was nowhere to be seen.

"You okay, kid?" Rick asked her.

"Just need some air. I feel kind of sick," Anna told him. She wasn't lying. Her head swam and her stomach was in knots. She ambled towards the outskirts of the city, where the walls were.

"Don't wander too far," Rick warned her. "Those men may still be out there."

"I won't," Anna called over her shoulder.

She made it to the ramp and sat down, basking in the cool air. Her eyes scanned the desert horizon but she saw nothing—just the vast desert. Looking at all of it, she felt small—insignificant.

And she wanted to go home. Not back to Evy's apartment in Cairo but home to her own home in her own time. She missed her bed and her phone and Netflix. She missed air conditioning and ice cream. She wanted to hug her mom and tell her she loved her.

Anna burst into noisy, dry tears and promptly vomited on the ground. She stood up, running her hands through her hair before she bent over again and vomited bile. She kept on vomiting until she was dry-heaving.

When she was sure she wouldn't empty the contents of her stomach or lack thereof again, she threw sand over the vomit and ambled back over to Rick.

"Are you alright?" He asked her when he caught sight of her pale face.

"I don't feel good," she told him uneasily.

He gestured to the spot next to him. "Sit."

She did and she curled up into the blanket left there. Rick passed her another canteen of water. "Drink," he said.

"I shouldn't," she murmured. "We have limited supplies."

"_Drink_," he said again.

And Anna did. It felt cool on her tongue and rinsed the taste of vomit out of her mouth. "Thanks," she said quietly and handed the canteen back to Rick.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

She nodded and yawned. Carefully, she lied down next to Rick and allowed herself to drift off to sleep. She felt Rick gently pat her shoulder before pulling her blanket up higher.

-x-

**And now Ardeth's on the scene. Not much interaction between him and Anna since you really can't talk during a battle. But he's here!**

**Which raises the question, is Ardeth Bay more good-looking than Tom Hiddleston? What do you guys think?**

**Next up, something's going on with that Mummy.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter seven!**


	7. The Mummy

No one seemed willing to heed the mysterious man's warning the next day. Instead of packing and leaving, everyone headed back into the ruins.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just leave?" Anna asked nervously as she looked around at the decrepit walls.

She had been adamant against going back down into Hamunaptra this morning but Rick didn't want her above ground, alone. Neither of the Carnahans were willing to stay with her as they wanted to see inside the sarcophagus and so, Anna was resigned to going back underground.

Down in the room with the mummy, underneath the statue, Jonathan and Rick propped the sarcophagus up against the wall.

"Oh, I've dreamt about this I was little girl!" Evy said excitedly as she watched the men work.

"You dreamed about dead guys?" Rick asked skeptically.

"Gross," Anna added. She may have been forced to come back but she refused to go anywhere near the sarcophagus and decided to loiter at the edge of the room.

Evy ignored her and Rick. "Look the sacred spells have been chiseled off," she said. "This man must have been condemned not only in this life but in the next."

A shudder ripped through Anna. "Maybe it's not a good idea to mess with him then," she said from her spot by the small jackal statues. "He must've been a really bad guy."

"He's dead, Anna," Jonathan called over his shoulder. He placed the open key into the lock and unlocked it. "Let's see who's inside, shall we?"

He and Rick worked to pry the lid off and when they did, the mummy inside popped out making everyone scream. Even Anna who wasn't even close to the thing screamed.

"God, I _hate_ it when these things do that!"Evy scowled at it.

"Is he supposed to look like that?" Anna heard Rick ask Evy.

Against Anna's better judgment, she stepped closer. She grimaced when she saw what Rick was talking about. The mummy looked nothing like the mummies she had seen in pictures or museums. The embalming linen had dissolved away leaving just a skeleton covered in wet gunk.

Her eyes landed on his face and she gulped when she saw his jaw open in a silent scream. _So gross_, she thought to herself.

"No," Evy admitted. "I've never seen a mummy look like this before. He's still, still—"

"Juicy," Jonathan and Rick finished.

"He must be more than three thousand years old and it looks like, well, he's still decomposing," Evy said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Anna looked down at the lid of the sarcophagus and her stomach shriveled up. "Evy," she said slowly as she knelt down. "I think you need to look at this."

There were several deep lines scratched into the wood. Evy gasped softly and joined Anna. "Oh my God, these marks were made with... fingernails." She traced them with her own nails. She looked back at the mummy. "This man was buried alive."

"And he left a message." She pointed at some hieroglyphics scratched into the lid. "Death is only... the beginning," she read.

Something in Anna snapped and she let out a squeak of terror. "I want to go. I want to go back _now_," she said. She didn't want to be in this room a moment longer not with that _thing_ so close to her.

"Alright," Evy said. She looked to Jonathan. "Jonathan will you take her back to camp? O'Connell and I will stay a bit longer."

"Sure," Jonathan said and he helped Anna up.

Anna clung to Jonathan's arm as they walked down the hallways. "Don't like mummies?" He asked lightly, patting her arm sympathetically.

"Just something about him... something about him is..." She didn't know what to say. "Unsettling," she finally said.

Jonathan smiled wryly but thankfully did not laugh at her. "Did last night spook you? O'Connell told me you weren't feeling well last night after."

Anna shook her head. "I feel fine. But the thought of that man going through mummification alive and stuff. It's kinda terrifying. Especially after what Evy said about the brains."

"No kidding."

Jonathan deposited Anna back at her tent and she didn't speak much to anyone the rest of the day. In fact, when Jonathan left her, she packed up most of her things. She felt like she needed to run away but when Evy came back, she wouldn't have it. But she told Anna that she didn't have to come down to see the mummy the rest of the trip. She'd give her some hieroglyphics to practice instead and could practice in her tent (much to Rick's chagrin as she'd be alone most of the time.)

But it still didn't make Anna feel any better.

But the Americans, on the other hand, were having the time of their lives. They found themselves some treasure in the form of little jars with animal heads.

"Say O'Connell," Hendersan bragged as he, Burns, and Daniels joined them at their fire. He wiggled his jar in front of them, tauntingly. "What do you think these babies'll fetch back home?"

"We heard you boys found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy," Burns said smugly. "Congratulations."

"You know, if you dry that fella out, you might able to sell him for firewood," Daniels snickered.

Anna glared at them but said nothing while Rick just faked a chuckle.

"Look what I found!" Anna heard Evy call.

"You're in her seat," Rick told Beni coldly. Beni just laughed weakly. "_Now_," Rick threatened.

"Yup." Beni leapt up from his seat and sat down next to Daniels.

"Scarab skeletons," Evy said proudly and handed one to Anna and Rick. "Flesh eaters. I found them inside our friend's coffin. They can stay alive for years feasting on the flesh of a corpse. Unfortunately for our friend, he was still alive when they started eating him."

Anna blanched. Her stomach threatened to eject her dinner.

"So someone threw these in with our guy and they slowly ate him alive?" Rick questioned.

"_Very_ slowly," Evy said.

Anna was pleased to see the Americans didn't look thrilled to hear that news. "Still think it's funny?" She snapped at them, trying to ignore the rolling in her stomach.

"He certainly wasn't a popular fellow when they planted him," Jonathan surmised.

"Well, he probably got a little too frisky with the Pharaoh's daughter," Rick joked.

In an instant, Anna heard a voice in her head: _"I beg you, end it now. Or your life will be forfeit."_

She clenched a fist and gritted her teeth, willing the throb in her head to go away.

"Our friend suffered the Hom-Dai, the worse of all Egyptian curses," Evy was saying, "one reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers. In all my research, I've never heard of this curse having actually been performed."

"That bad, huh?" Rick asked.

"Yes, well, they never used it because they feared it so," Evy said. She looked at the rest of them sitting at the fire. "It's written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt."

-x-

Anna had gone to bed almost immediately after Evy told them about the Hom-Dai. The dread in her gut was getting worse and Anna thought she'd actually be sick again. But she trudged through it and drank some more water before she went to lie down.

It felt like she only just lied down when a terrible roar shook the air. Anna jumped up from bed and ran out to see Rick and Evy hunched over what looked like a black book.

Someone screamed, "NO! YOU MUST NOT READ FROM THE BOOK!" It was the Egpytologist and he was staring at the pair in utter horror.

In the distance, Anna heard a rumbling sound. She looked to the horizon and saw a black mass looming closer and closer to them. "What is that?" She asked nervously.

Insects. It was insects. And a lot of them.

"RUN!" She heard Rick yell and she did.

They all ran for cover inside Hamunaptra. Anna held her arms over her head trying to fend off any of the locusts. "Where did they come from?" She shouted as they took cover. "What did you do?"

"Just run!" Rick shouted. "Worry later!"

They slowed down to a walk as soon as they entered another tunnel, Rick lighting a torch as he did so. "What happened?" Anna asked. "What was the Egyptologist talking about with the book?"

"It was nothing," Evy said. But she looked worried. "It was nothing," she repeated.

"Those locusts coming out of nowhere was not nothing!" Anna said hotly. "What did you do?"

Evy opened her mouth to reply when the hallway shook. All of them stopped as a mound of sand grew until hundreds of beetles burst forth!

"Scarabs!" Evy screamed and they turned around and ran.

"Go, go, go!" Rick urged them on and Anna took Evy's hand.

Ann heard gunshots behind them before they entered in a large chamber. Evy and Anna hid themselves in a small alcove while Jonathan and Rick jumped over to a stone platform. To Anna's relief, the scarab's ran past them without stopping.

But the wall Anna was leaning against was no longer there and she and Evy went tumbling to the ground. Trap door, Anna guessed when she got her bearings and looked at the wall they fell through. But she couldn't make out a door or anything.

"Damn," she whispered.

A shiver ran through Anna. She and Evy were separated from Jonathan and Rick.

"Are you alright?" Evy asked Anna.

"I'll be fine," Anna replied.

Behind her, Anna heard someone whimpering. She and Evy turned around to see Burns standing with his back to them.

"Oh, Mr. Burns," Evy said in relief as she and Anna approached him. "Thank goodness. We lost everyone and I was just beginning to get scared—"

Burns turned around and Evy and Anna screamed in horror.

Anna found herself staring into bloody sockets; his eyes were _gone_. "My eyes," Burns groaned out, his voice sounding muffled.

Evy backed away and she screamed a second time. Anna whirled around and she collapsed to the ground with Burns, her body trembling.

The mummy. The mummy they found was walking. It was _alive_.

"Evy," Anna whimpered. She clung onto Burns for dear life, trying to drag him away while the mummy cornered Evy against a wall, growling softly.

"Please help me," Evy said to Burns and Anna. "Please don't leave me."

"What do you want me to do?" Anna choked out as she dragged Burns to another hallways. She had no weapon and that _thing_ was a walking mummy! She looked around for anything she could use but all she saw was sand.

"My tongue," Burns said, his voice muffled. "He took my tongue!"He gripped Anna's arms with brute force and she winced in pain.

"Oh my god," Anna cried. "Hang on, Evy."

"Anck-su-namun?" The mummy spoke! It freaking _spoke_! It said something in a language Anna didn't understand and held its hand out to Evy.

"There you are! Would you quit playing hide and seek?" Rick arrived and Anna nearly sobbed in relief. "C'mon, let's get out of here!" He didn't see the mummy until he turned to look at what Evy was staring at in fear. "Whoa!"

"Evy?" Jonathan and the other two Americans showed up, all of them coming to a halt when they saw the creature.

The creature roared at Rick and Rick yelled right back before cocking his shotgun and shooting it. It fell over with a shriek.

"Move!" Rick dragged Evy away with the other three on their heels.

"Did you see that? It was walking, it was _walking_!" Someone shouted.

Anna took the opportunity to grab Burns again. "Mr. Burns, you need to stand up. C'mon, we need to go."

He shakily got to his feet, leaning on Anna who nearly buckled under his weight. "C'mon, this way." She led him down a hallway, not the one where Rick and everyone went. That would require them to walk over the freaking mummy and Anna wasn't going anywhere near that thing.

But this tunnel would take them out, she was sure of it. Or when she and Burns didn't come out, she knew Rick would come down looking for her.

"Just a little bit farther now, Mr. Burns," Anna tried to stay positive as they slowly walked down the hallway. "We'll be out of here in no time and we'll get you medical attention, okay?"

Burns mumbled something but Anna couldn't understand. "Just keep going," she said.

He stumbled and fell to the ground, taking Anna with him. "Oh no," Anna moaned. "Please get up, _please_," she begged and tugged on his arm, trying to pull him up but to no avail.

Then she heard the growling behind her. Her heart thudding in her chest, she turned around and promptly screamed. Despite having been shot at point-blank range just minutes earlier, the mummy was _standing right behind her_.

"No..." She heard Burns moan. "No..."

"Oh god," Anna whimpered. She stared up at the mummy, certain that she was going to die.

_Mom… I'm so sorry. Rick, Evy, Jonathan…_ All her regrets began to pile in her chest as she clung to Burns for dear life.

It stopped when it caught sight of her face. "Iset?" It asked and cocked its head to the side. And then it said something but Anna couldn't understand.

She shook her head wildly. "I can't understand you," she choked out. "Please." Tears pricked at the corner of her us but she did not want to cry. She was not going to cry.

As it reached for her—or Burns, Anna didn't know, when she heard a meow and a black cat shot past her.

The mummy screeched and disappeared in a blast of sand, leaving a shell-shocked Anna and a whimpering Burns behind.

Then a strong pair of hands grabbed Anna by the shoulders and pulled her up. Anna screamed and thrashed in her captor's grip. As she was turned around, she managed to get an arm free. "No!" She screamed again and clumsily punched her captor across the face as hard as she could.

Her fist met fabric, softening the blow and her wide, terrified blue eyes met calm, brown ones.

Even with the mouth covering, she recognized him. It was tall, dark, and handsome from the other night. And she just punched him in the face.

"Are you alright?" He asked her as if she didn't just hit him and let go of her.

Words failed her and Anna nodded mutely. The man turned to his companions and said something in Arabic and Anna took a moment to appreciate how deep and attractive his voice was. She shook her head, clearing those thoughts out, and tried listening to the man speak to his men. With some difficulty, Anna figured out he was telling them to take Burns.

She glanced behind her and saw two men pick up Burns and another one ushered the black cat into a wicker basket. So that was where the cat had come from.

"Come," the man said to her in English and guided her down the hallway.

They walked in silence. Anna was hyper-aware of his hand gripping her arm, gently pulling her forward and fought hard against the blush rising on her cheeks.

"Thank you," Anna blurted, trying to break the silence.

He said nothing. Anna's face flushed. "I'm sorry I hit you," she whispered.

He merely glanced at her and she could see his eyebrows knit together. Whether in anger or confusion, she didn't know. "I'm Anna," she tried. Inwardly, she smacked herself. _Shut up, Anna. Just shut up. This was probably what he was warning us against and he's probably really pissed._

"Ardeth," was his curt reply.

A tiny smiled graced Anna's lips. At least he told her his name.

"Was that," she took a deep breath, "was that what you were warning us about?"

He said nothing but his grip on her arm tightened uncomfortably. She opened her mouth to say something she was sorry (even though she felt like that wouldn't help) when Anna suddenly found herself outside. The locusts had gone as Ardeth pulled her towards the main door where they had gone in to escape the bugs. The Egyptologist was there on his knees, clutching a jar and the black book to his chest.

To Anna's immense relief the rest of the group came storming out of the doorway but stopped when the men pointed guns at them.

Ardeth let go of Anna and pulled his face covering off. "I told you to leave or die," he said coldly. "You refused. Now you may have killed us all for you have unleashed the creature we have feared for more than three thousand years."

"Relax, I got him," Rick replied just as coldly.

"No mortal weapon can kill this creature," Ardeth said. "He's not of this world." He made a motion with his hands and the two men holding Burns came forward and handed them off to Henderson and Daniels.

It was then when Evy noticed Anna. "Anna!" She cried and reached out for her.

Anna gratefully went to her side. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to her.

"I'm alright," Evy replied and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm just glad you're safe. I feared the worst when we realized you weren't with us."

"You bastards!" Daniels growled to the men.

"What did you do to him?" Henderson demanded.

"We saved him, saved him before the creature could finish his work," Ardeth said.

"It's true," Anna said over Evy's shoulder. "I was there, they stopped..." She glanced over to Ardeth and he was staring at her. She averted her eyes and looked to Henderson. "They stopped him while I was trying to get Mr. Burns out," she finished.

She looked back to Ardeth and she swore he looked back at her pleased before addressing everyone. "Leave, all of you, quickly before he finishes you all." He turned to his men and shouted orders in Arabic.

The men put down their guns and filed into the ruins. "We must now go on the hunt," Ardeth explained. "And try and find a way to kill him."

"I already told you I got him," Rick said again, a scowl on his face.

Ardeth turned on Rick, getting close to his face. "Know this," Ardeth said seriously, "this creature is the bringer of Death. He will never eat. He will never sleep. He will _never stop_."

-x-

**Now the mummy's on the loose and he seems to know Anna. What gives? But more time spent with Ardeth!**

**What'll happen when they get back to civilization but they're followed? Only I know!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter eight!**


	8. Getting Answers

They packed up and left that night. No one said anything as they piled their items onto their camels. But Rick was in a foul mood from the night's events. But he helped Jonathan before striding over to Anna.

"You alright?" He asked her tersely as she finished tying her stuff to Fuzzy's back.

"Yeah," she said softly. "A little shaken but I'm okay."

"Got everything?"

She nodded and without warning her picked her up and helped her into the saddle. As she settled, she watched Rick exchange a few terse words with Evy before getting on his own camel.

"Stay by me," Rick ordered Anna as they headed out, the Americans joining them.

Anna nodded again and clicked her tongue, urging Fuzzy to follow Rick out of Hamunaptra and back to Cairo.

Rick pushed them onwards and they rode nonstop until they reached Fort Bryden in Cairo. The Americans set themselves to find a doctor for Burns and some rooms. Henderson quietly thanked Anna for taking care of Burns in Hamunaptra and told her they were going to find passage back to the states.

Thankfully, Evy's apartment wasn't too far from the fort and Evy and Anna ditched the men to retreat to her home. Anna relished in taking a bath and getting clean. Thankfully, she had the sense to leave some clothes behind and changed into harem pants and an olive green blouse. She decided against the hijab because the day was cloudy and it was threatening to storm. Instead, she loosely braided it and tossed it over her shoulder.

Evy, having washed and changed already, was busy searching through her books, muttering to herself about curses when there was a knock at the door.

Anna opened it to find Rick and Jonathan standing there. Rick nodded at Anna in greeting but stormed past her to Evy.

"Come with me to the bar," Jonathan said and pulled Anna from the room as Evy glared at Rick for intruding on her research. "I think you'll find it much more pleasant than here."

She sighed but allowed Jonathan to lead her down to the bar in the fort. It was a beautiful bar filled with small fountains with a rich décor that had an English yet still Egyptian feel to it.

"Sit, sit," Jonathan said as he slid onto a stool and she perched nervously on a bar stool as Jonathan made a gesture to the bartender and took two shot glasses and a bottle of brown liquid. He poured her a shot of what Anna identified as whiskey. Drinking ages haven't been established yet, she reminded herself as she stared at her shot glass though she halfheartedly wished the bartender would card her so she wouldn't have to drink it.

"Drink up!" Jonathan said and down his and poured another.

She picked it up and smelled it. She recoiled at the smell. "Uh, no thanks." She hastily shoved it at Jonathan.

"_Can I have some water_?" She asked the bartender in Arabic.

As she got her glass of water, Rick joined them at the bar with an old man following him. Jonathan poured him a shot as the man talked about having no challenges. He was obviously drunk, Anna noted as he slurred his words.

"Yeah, we all got our little problems today, don't we Winston?" Rick said.

"I just wish I could have chucked it in with the others and gone down in flame and glory instead of sitting here—"

"Rotting of boredom and booze," Rick finished.

Winston grabbed Jonthan's shot and downed it before walking away. "Cheers. Oh well, back to the airfield!"

"He should wait a decade, then he'll get some action," Anna muttered into her glass. That's if he was still fit for service. He looked pretty wasted.

Rick turned to Jonathan. "Tell me, has your sister always been—"

"Oh yes, always," Jonathan said.

Henderson appeared at Anna's elbow. "Well, we're all packed up but the damn boat doesn't leave until tomorrow morning."

"Tail set firmly between your legs, I see." Jonthan took a shot.

"You can talk," Henderson said glumly. "You don't have some sacred, walkin' corpse after you."

"Sucks to be you," Anna said.

"I'm sorry?" Henderson said blankly.

Damn lingo differences. Anna wasn't even drunk! "It's horrible," she corrected.

"So, uh, how's your friend?" Rick asked Daniels quietly.

Daniels wasn't amused. "He had his eyes and his tongue ripped out," he snapped. "How would you be?"

"Wanting to have a drink," Jonathan said. He motioned for two more shot glasses to be brought over. "Anna, you're drinking one."

A whine escaped Anna's throat but she accepted the shot. They all clinked their glasses as Jonathan wished them luck and Anna downed her shot. What she tasted wasn't the burn of alcohol but rather a metallic tang that she recognized from when she smashed her mouth against a soccer pole two years ago (or rather eighty-seven years from now.)

Blood. Her drink tasted like blood. Anna promptly spit it out. Everyone else in the bar did so as well.

"Sweet jesus, it tasted just like..." Henderson trailed off.

Rick stood up and dropped his glass to the floor. "Blood," he finished.

The fountain in the bar was no longer pouring out water but red liquid. Anna's stomach gave a horrible turn when she realized what it was.

"And the rivers and waters of Egypt ran red and were as blood," Jonathan recited.

"He's here," Anna said, a cold chill enveloping her body.

-x-

Anna and Rick ran off to find Evy and came across her as she was walking through a courtyard, her nose in a book.

"Oh, Evelyn!" Rick called as they approached.

"Oh so you're still here?" Evy asked coolly.

"We've got problems," Anna cut in.

Before either of them could explain that the mummy was in Cairo. There was a loud thunderclap and all three of them looked up and saw fireballs beginning to rain from the sky.

"Hail and lightning!" Anna cried as the three of them took cover and ran for it. When they were safely out of the courtyard, someone squealed behind them and they swung around and saw Beni trying to run up the stairs.

Rick took the stairs two at a time and grabbed the smaller man. "Beni, you little stinkweed, where've you been?" Rick asked.

A loud roar caused them to look up and Beni took the opportunity to run. "Mr. Burns's quarters!" Anna gasped and they were all sprinting up the stairs.

They were too late and Anna gasped in horror when she saw the dried up remains of Burns in a lounge chair. There was a loud cracking noise and Rick pointed his gun at the fireplace where the creature made his presence known. Anna watched in terror as muscles formed on the mummy's body. _He's using the parts of Mr. Burns to rebuild himself,_ she realized.

"We are in serious trouble," Rick said as the mummy strode towards him. He fired his gun but it did nothing. Anna dove out of the way before the mummy picked Rick up and threw him into the just arriving Jonathan, Henderson, and Daniels.

Anna looked up from her spot as the mummy said something to Evy and approached her. She looked around wildly for something—_anything_ she could use. She spotted a fallen teacup, grabbed it, and chucked it at him. Her aim was true and the cup hit him on the head and fell into the open cavity. It would had been funny had Anna not been scared out of her wits.

He turned and saw her on the floor and she found her voice. "Leave her alone!" Anna cried, sounding much braver than she felt.

The mummy approached and Anna scuttled back. With the new muscles on his face, she could make out a look on his face: distaste.

"Iset," he said but she couldn't understand the rest of the sentence. He reached for her but the jarring sounds of piano keys and a meow made them both look up.

Evy's cat was walking on the pianos. The mummy let out the same scream when he saw the black cat and he was gone in a whirlwind of sand.

Anna clutched at her heart and fell to the floor.

"We are in _very_ serious trouble," she heard Rick say from the door.

Evy helped Anna up, looking quite perturbed. "What did he say?" Anna asked. She had a sneaking suspicion Evy could understand him but Evy shook her head.

"Later," the older woman murmured to her and turned to the men.

"We need to go to the Museum of Antiquities," she announced to the group.

"Why?" Anna asked.

"We need answers and there's only one person who can give it to us."

-x-

Evy wouldn't hear any questions until they were inside the museum, only telling them that she was certain they would find what they needed at the museum.

"He does seem to like you, Evy," Jonathan commented out of the blue as they walked up the steps of the museum.

"Yeah, what's that all about?" Rick asked.

But none of their questions were answered. Instead Evy excalimed, "you!" when they reached the main room.

Standing before them was Dr. Bey and… Ardeth?

As if on cue, the men took out their guns and pointed them at the two men. Dr. Bey stared at them bemusedly while Ardeth stared at them coldly (but Anna swore she saw his eyes flicker to her.)

"Miss. Carnahan. Miss Campbell. Gentlemen," Dr. Bey greeted.

"What is he doing here?" Evy hissed.

Dr. Bey looked at Ardeth before looking back to Evy. "Do you really want to know or would you prefer to just shoot us?"

"After what I just saw," Rick said as he holstered his gun, "I'm willing to go on a little faith here."

"Then I suggest you take a seat," Dr. Bey said.

They fanned out into the room. Rick setting himself on a golden chair while Evy paced. Jonathan climbed up to sit in an exhibit chariot while Anna just stood off to the side, trying to make herself smaller.

"We are part of an ancient, secret society," Dr. Bey started. "For over three thousand years we have guarded the City of the Dead. We were sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world."

"And now because of you we have failed," Ardeth interjected.

"And you think this justifies the killing of innocent people?" Evy argued.

"To stop this creature? Let me think—_Yes_!" He and Ardeth said at the same time.

Rick held up a finger. "Question, why doesn't he like cats?"

"Cats are the guardians of the underworld," Dr. Bey explained. "He will fear them until he is fully regenerated."

"Then he will fear nothing," Ardeth finished.

"And you know how he gets hisself regenerated?" Daniels said hysterically.

"By killing everyone who opened that chest," Henderson said grimly.

"And sucking them dry, that's how!" Daniels exclaimed.

Jonathan, instead of listening, was playing with the exhibit he was perched on and Evy reprimanded him before turning back to Dr. Bey. "When I saw him alive at Hamunaptra, he called me Anck-su-namun." Anna didn't like the way Ardeth and Dr. Bey looked at each other when Evy said that. "And then just now in Mr. Burns's quarters, h-he tried to kiss me," she finished.

"Gross," Anna said.

"It's because of his love for Anck-su-namun that he was cursed," Dr. Bey said to Ardeth. "Apparently, even after three thousand years—"

"He is still in love with her," Ardeth said.

"Yes that is very romantic, but what has it got to do with me?" Evy questioned.

But they both ignored her. "Perhaps he once again try to raise her from the dead," Ardeth spoke.

"Yes," Dr. Bey said softly. "And it appears he has already chosen his human sacrifice." And they both looked to Evy.

Anna's heart sank. "Bad luck, old mum," Jonthan said.

"Sick's more like it," Anna muttered.

"W-well," Evy's eyes landed on Anna. "He reacted to Anna as well." And then Anna found herself at the center of attention and she flushed red. "In Mr. Burns's quarters he called her "Iset" and told her she wouldn't interfere this time."

"Huh?" Anna asked blankly. She heard the word Iset come from him but that's what he said to her?_ Why?_

Dr. Bey stood up. "Come here, Miss Campbell," he motioned for her to stand before him.

She moved into the center of the room, aware of everyone's curiousl eyes on her, even more so of Ardeth. Dr. Bey grasped her chin and examined her closely before turning her head to the side. "You must resemble her," Dr. Bey said after a moment."It does seem like you have her profile though there's been no concrete image of her discovered but some of the descriptions are similar."

"Who?" Anna asked as she stepped away from Dr. Bey's grip.

"Iset," he replied. "She was the High Priestess during Imhotep's time." He sat back down in his chair. "The texts say she knew of the affair between Imhotep and Anck-su-namun but she held her silence while trying to sway Imhotep away from Anck-su-namun."

Anna thought back to the vision of the woman who looked like her pleading with a bald man. Was that Iset and Imhotep?

"And after Seti the First was murdered, it was Iset who sent Pharaoh's bodyguards to Hamunaptra after him," Dr. Bey finished.

"Oh," Anna said. So she resembled a three thousand year old dead woman who tried to stop an affair from happening? She frowned. It was kind of disturbing the more she thought about it.

"On the contrary," Dr. Bey said thoughtfully, "it may give us the time we need to kill the creature."

Ardeth looked up at the skylight. "We will need all the help we can get," he said. "His powers are growing."

Everyone looked up to see the sun becoming eclipsed. "And he stretched forth his hand towards the heavens and there was darkness throughout the land Egypt," Jonathan quoted.

-x-

Ardeth and Dr. Bey remained in the museum telling them they would look through texts to find a way to kill Imhotep while the rest of them assembled in the fort.

"We must stop him from regenerating," Evy began. "Who opened that chest?"

"There was me and Daniels here," Henderson counted off.

"And Burns of course," Daniels added.

"And that Egyptologist feller."

"What about my buddy Beni?" Rick asked.

"Naw, he scrammed outta there 'fore we opened the damn thing," Daniels said.

Henderson chuckled, "He was the smart one."

Rick snorted but nodded. "That sounds like Beni."

"We must find the Egyptologist and bring him back to the safety of the fort before the creature can get to him," Evy said to Rick.

"Right," Rick said. He pointed at Evy and Anna. "They stay here, you three come with me."

And he was met with protests from everyone (with exception of Anna who was still mulling over the Iset thing and was glad to stay behind in the fort.) The men just didn't want to go and Evy wanted to go.

"Just a minute, you can't leave me behind here like some old carpetbag," Evy protested. But Rick merely swung her over his shoulder and headed into her bedroom. "O'Connell, what do you think you are doing?" She shrieked. "Jonathan!"

"Sorry but he's a bit... tall," Jonathan said lamely.

Rick dumped her on her bed and locked the door on her before she could get out. He grabbed Daniels by the collar. "This door doesn't open. She doesn't come out and no one goes in. Right?"

"Right," Daniels agreed and Rick looked and Henderson who also agreed.

"Let's go Jonathan," Rick said.

"Uh, I think I'll just stay at the fort and reconnoiter—"

"_Now_!"

"Right." Jonathan hopped up. "We'll just go rescue the Egyptologist."

Anna spied a deck of cards and slapped it down on the table. "Well," she announced to the other two Americans. "Who wants to learn how to play Texas Hold 'Em?"

-x-

Daniels and Henderson declined and so Anna entertained herself by playing Solitaire much to Henderson's amusement. He sat in a chair polishing his jar while Daniels stared out the window.

"To hell with this," Daniels said abruptly. "I'm going downstairs, get me a drink. You want somethin'?"

"Yeah, get me a glass of bourbon," Henderson said as Daniels left. He jumped up from his chair. "And a shot of bourbon! And a bourbon chaser!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get ya your damn bourbon!"

"I don't think getting drunk is a good idea," Anna said as she completed her game.

"You don't have a corpse gunning for ya," Henderson replied. "A drink sounds mighty fine to me right now."

"Suit yourself." Anna shrugged as she shuffled the cards.

She watched with great amusement as Henderson played cowboy tricks with his gun before holstering it.

"Tell me something, missy." Henderson turned to her and she looked up at him. "Why are you wearing pants?"

Anna shrugged. "They're comfortable. Also if I have to kick someone, it's easier to do so when my legs aren't constrained by skirts." She caught the look on Henderson's face and cut him off. "And don't say I shouldn't be wearing pants because I'm a woman. Where I come from, women are allowed to wear whatever they want."

Perhaps she shouldn't have said that because a look of horror crossed Henderson's face. She sighed. "Just don't think about it too much, okay? Tomorrow you'll be on your way home to Texas where everything is normal."

He seemed to agree because he gave her a crooked grin.

A howl of wind threw the window open. Anna leaped to her feet and Henderson pointed his gun at the window.

"Mr. Henderson?" She asked nervously as they approached the open window.

But there was no growls or roars and they both relaxed. "It's nothin'," Henderson announced.

Then Anna was hit by a strong blast of sand so hard it knocked her to the floor. Above her, she could hear Henderson screaming before she heard a horrible sucking sound and then something light hit the floor.

She didn't want to look—she wouldn't. She knew what she would see: Henderson's dried up corpse just like Burns. Instead, she skittered away to hide under the table. Cautiously, she peered out from her hiding spot and saw Imhotep standing there. He now looked more like a man (the man from her visions and dream, she realized with a horrible jolt) than a mummy with exception of a spot on his neck and another on his cheek.

She was repulsed to see a scarab leave his neck and enter his cheek before he chewed on it. She watched him walk over to Evy's door and to her surprise, he turned into sand and filtered in through the key hole.

"Oh no," she said to herself. "Oh that's not good." She darted out from her hiding spot. And Daniels had the key, she realized.

"Here kitty, kitty," she hissed. "Come out wherever you are."

To her relief, the cat darted out from under a nightstand and she grabbed it around the middle. And that same exact time, Rick and Jonathan burst into the room. "He's in Evy's room!" She told him.

Rick didn't need telling twice and he kicked the door open. Inside, Imhotep was lip-locked with Evy and it looked like his mouth had decomposed even more. "Hey!" Rick roared. "Get your ugly face off of her!"

Imhotep glared at them and growled something at him.

Anna shoved to the front. "Imhotep," she cried and held up the cat for him to see. It hissed at him.

He stopped his advance and his eyes widened in fear. But he gave Anna a deep glare before he whisked himself away in a swirl of sand.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked Evy.

"I'm not sure," Jonathan said behind them.

"Where's the Egyptologist?" Anna asked but judging by the looks on their faces and how human Imhotep looked, she knew he was dead.

-x-

**The stakes are getting even higher and now Daniels is the only one left. So far, there has been little interaction between Ardeth and Anna but that all changes when Imhotep makes a bold move.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter nine!**


	9. The Regeneration

And Daniels was not pleased to hear Henderson and the Egyptologist were dead and he was the last one left. Anna had to look away from the man who collapsed into the chair, holding his head in his hands.

"We need to go back to the museum," Evy told them quietly. She pulled a robe over her dress and ushered them out. They all piled into Jonathan's car and headed for the museum.

"Were you successful?" Dr. Bey demanded when they walked through the doors.

Rick shook his head and Dr. Bey glared at them in displeasure. "There's only one more person before the creature fully regenerates."

"Don't think we don't know that," Daniels snapped at the man and Rick put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"I have a theory," Evy interrupted. "It was something I've been thinking about since you told us about Imhotep."

"Please explain," Dr. Bey said.

"Well, according to legend, the black book the Americans found at Hamunaptra is supposed to bring people back from the dead," she explained. "Until now, it was a notion I was unwilling to believe."

"Well believe it sister, that's what brought our buddy back to life," Rick grumbled as she led them up the stairs to the second floor.

"Yes, and I'm thinking that if the black book can bring dead people to life..."

"Then maybe the gold book can kill him," Anna finished.

"That's the myth. Now we just have to find out where the gold book is hidden."

Evy stopped talking when they hear a low murmur coming from outside. They approached the window to see hundreds of people covered in boils walking towards the museum, all of them chanting Imhotep's name.

"Last but not least, my favorite plague: boils and sores," Jonathan said.

"Oh that's disgusting." Anna crinkled her nose.

"They have become his slaves. So it has begun," Ardeth said solemnly. "The beginning of the end."

"Not quite yet it hasn't," Evy said fiercely. "Come on."

And unfortunately for them, the text with where the information of books was a large stone slab. Why oh why couldn't it be a small slab for them to take with them? Anna tapped her foot impatiently while Evy and Dr. Bey examined the slab.

"We're sitting ducks in here," Anna said under her breath as she watched Evy work.

"We can't do anything until we find the location of the golden book," Ardeth answered her.

"And how come you guys don't know where it is?" Anna asked him. "If you've been guarding Hamunaptra for centuries, shouldn't you have known where the books were hidden?"

Ardeth shook his head. "The locations of the books were lost to us hundreds of years ago. If we kept the location protected from outsiders, we would have no need for the books."

"Sounds to me that they should've been taken out of Hamunaptra. If the black book was hidden somewhere else, he'd never be resurrected."

It made sense to her: separate the books from Imhotep so he could never come back. Or better yet, destroy them. Actually, who the hell decided to put this curse on Imhotep? Whoever did had to be an idiot.

"I do not know the minds of my ancestors when they hid the books. I can only assume they had faith in us to protect the city," Ardeth said.

"According to Bembridge scholars, the golden book of Amun-Ran is located in the statue of Anubis," Evy mused, putting an end to Ardeth and Anna's conversation.

"That's where we found the black book," Daniels interrupted.

"Sounds like those old boys at Bembridge were mistaken," Jonathan snarked.

"Yes, they mixed the books up. Mixed up where they were buried. So if the black book is inside the statue of Anubis then the golden book must be inside..."

Anna heard a _crack_ from down below and she looked over the railing. The slaves had broken through the door and were pouring into the museum. "Uh-oh," Anna said.

"Come on, Evy. Faster," Jonathan urged.

"Patience is a virtue," Evy sang out.

"Not right now it isn't!" Rick said.

Jonathan was already running away. "Uh, I think I'll go get the car started," he called over his shoulder.

"I got it!" Evy said triumphantly. "The golden Book of Amun-Ra is at Hamunaptra inside the statue of Horus! Take _that,_ Bembridge scholars!"

"Great," Anna yelped. "Is there a back door?"

"This way." Dr. Bey led them down a second set of stairs and they were running out the back door where Jonathan was waiting in the car.

Daniels was the fastest and he reached the car first. "Let's go, let's go! Get this thing in gear, boy! Let's get outta here!"

They piled into the car, Jonathan, Evy and Rick in the front while Dr. Bey, Daniels, and Ardeth got in the back. There was no room for Anna to sit anywhere but Ardeth hauled her in the backseat and placed her on his lap.

_Oh nooo..._ She thought. _This is awkward. Don't say anything. Don't run your mouth. Don't try to crack a joke. He's just letting you sit on his lap because there's no room in the car._

"You're going to get yours, Beni!" Rick was shouting as they drove away.

Anna peeked over Ardeth's shoulder to see Beni shouting at them. She desperately wanted to twist in Ardeth's grasp so she was facing the front but she was too embarrassed and didn't want to make things more awkward. _God, I envy him for being able to be so stone-faced,_ she thought. She was sure her face was bright red.

Then the car slammed to a halt and Anna face-planted into Ardeth's chest, bruising her nose and noticing how freaking _firm_ he was under those clothes. She held her nose and twisted and saw more of Imhotep's slaves in front of them.

Rick made Jonathan's decision for him because he slammed on his foot, making him drive towards the people.

"Oh no," Anna groaned as people attached themselves to the car. Ardeth let her go and she hovered in the space between the front and back seats as they fended off their attackers. Ardeth threw a punch and knocked away one who was reaching for Anna. Another one took his place and without thinking, Anna cupped her hand and slapped it against the side of the man's face.

He let out an ear-splitting shriek and fell off. "What was that?" She heard Ardeth ask her.

"A cupped hand strike to the ear!" Anna replied as she did it again to another guy. "It really, really hurts!"

Two more men popped up from the back and grabbed Daniels. "O'Connell, O'Connell!" He called frantically.

"Mr. Daniels!" Anna lunged and manged to hook her hand around his gun holster.

"Anna!" Ardeth cried and he tried to grab at her but she and Daniels were pulled from the car and went rolling onto the street.

"Ow," she whined as she got up.She tried to look for the car but the throng of people was too thick for her to see.

Daniels pulled out his guns and began shooting but it didn't work for long as the slaves stopped and faced them and Daniels ran out of bullets.The two of them backed up into a stand. They were trapped.

"Don't I wish semi-automatic hand guns were a thing," Anna said to herself.

Her heart sank as the group of people before them parted and Imhotep strode towards them. Daniels dropped his gun in horror as Imhotep stood in front of them.

Anna placed herself between the two men, shielding Daniels. "Leave him alone," she tried to say fiercely but her knees were shaking.

If he had lips, Anna would be sure he would be smirking at her because the look in his eyes seemed greatly amused as he ground his teeth together. He said something but Anna couldn't understand.

"Get out of my way," Beni translated from behind Imhotep.

She shook her head. Imhotep's arm shot out and he gripped her throat. He forcefully dragged her away from Daniels and closer to him and spoke.

"Your meddling is beginning to anger me," Beni said from behind them. His hand tightened on her throat and she let out a small whine before she began to wheeze.

Imhotep's eyes turned from her to Daniels. He walked forward again, pulling Anna along and she tried to pry his fingers off her neck. Anna wanted to tell Daniels to run but he had nowhere to go. Instead, Daniels tried to offer his jar but then a dangerous look crossed Imhotep's face.

Anna wanted to look away, she really did, but she was rooted to the spot. Daniels' skin and muscles began to pull from his body and he screamed. Her eyes were wide in horror as she watched Imhotep kill Daniels and she wanted to throw up. It felt like an eternity before Daniels' dead body hit the ground and Imhotep was left holding the jar in one hand and Anna in the other.

He turned to Anna and now Anna got a good look at him and there was no mistaking it. He was the one from her visions. He spoke softly to her.

"You will not succeed again in stopping me from resurrecting Anck-su-namun again, Iset. I am far stronger than you will ever hope to be," Beni said.

"My name's not Iset," Anna protested. "It's Anna!"

She swore he understood her because he just smirked at her. He said something to Beni and let go of her. Immediately, she massaged her throat and watched warily as Beni approached her.

"No funny business," Beni sneered and pointed his gun at her. "Let's go."

He grabbed her arm and jabbed the gun into her side. If he didn't have a gun, she would have laughed. She was sure he was lighter than her. He was a little weasel. Hell, she was taller than him.

Beni dragged her through the streets until she saw a car wreck ahead and a group of people surrounding something. And Anna had a sinking feeling it was everyone else. Her suspicions were confirmed when the crowd parted to let Imhotep through. Beni followed, keeping Anna close to him.

"Anna!" She heard Evy cry.

"It's the creature," Dr. Bey said. "He's fully regenerated."

"I'm sorry," Anna whispered. "I tried."

Imhotep spoke and Beni translated. "Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, forever."

"For all eternity, idiot," Evy corrected snidely.

Beni frowned and jabbed his gun into Anna's ribs, making her yelp in pain.

A look of fury passed through Rick, Evy, and Ardeth's faces at the sound of Anna's cry. "Let her go," Rick practically snarled.

Imhotep spoke and Anna heard him say Iset.

"Take my hand and I will spare Iset," Beni said.

"Oh dear," Evy said as her eyes darted around. "Do you have any bright ideas?" She asked Rick.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," he said.

"Don't do it, Evy—ouch!" She yelped again when Beni dug his gun into her ribs again. "Would you stop that!" She glared at the small man.

"Shut up," he snarled at her.

"You better think of something fast because if he turns me into a mummy you're the first one I'm coming after," Evy said and she stepped towards Imhotep.

Beni put his gun down and violently shoved Anna towards the group, making her collide with Jonathan who barely caught her. "You alright?" He asked as he helped her stand.

Anna said nothing as Evy took Imhotep's hand. "No," Rick snapped and went for his gun.

"No!" Evy said as Ardeth grabbed Rick's arm. "He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual," she reminded him.

"She's right," Ardeth said. "Live today, fight tomorrow."

Rick put his gun away. "I'll be seeing you again," he told Imhotep.

Imhotep merely smirked and led Evy away. Beni approached Jonathan and ripped the key from his pocket. "Hey, that's mine!" Jonathan protested.

"Thank you," Beni sneered and Anna aimed a kick at him but he jumped out of the way.

Imhotep shouted something and Evy immediately began screaming, "no!"

The slaves approached them and Anna's heart sank. "I don't think he's going to spare us," she said to Jonathan.

"Goodbye, my friend," Beni said somberly

"C'mere you little!" Rick lunged to grab Beni but he ran after Imhotep.

Rick threw his torch into the crowd and leaned down. He pulled off a manhole cover. "C'mon!" He grabbed Jonathan.

"What about my sister?" Jonathan asked.

"We're going to get her back!" Rick dropped him down. "Anna, you next!"

He grabbed her and she fell down into the hole, almost on top of Jonathan. She scrambled out of the way as Ardeth landed next to her. And Rick followed soon after. "Let's go," he said.

"Where's Dr. Bey?" Anna asked.

But Rick wouldn't answer.

"Where is he?" Ardeth asked sharply.

"He stayed behind," Rick spat out.

Ardeth stiffened and Anna hiccuped; another person died. And Evy was on her way to Hamunaptra to be sacrificed.

"We need to keep moving," Rick ordered.

All four of them walked in silence down the sewers. Anna spared a glance at Ardeth every now and then. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were stormy.

"I'm sorry about Dr. Bey," Anna said to him.

He glanced down at her. "He was a brave man. He died to uphold our ways."

Anna wanted to say something else but she didn't know what. She just cleared her throat nervously and kept her eyes straight ahead as they walked. "I don't think he liked me very much," she finally said, "but he was nice enough to let me visit Evy at the museum."

She wanted to slap herself. Out of everything she could have said, including a prayer her _Abuela_ taught her, she said _that_?

Rick led them through several more turns before he found another manhole cover. "It's clear," he announced and they went up.

"What now?" Ardeth asked.

"We find the car and get going. We have to get back to Hamunaptra."

"But the car was surrounded!" Anna said in alarm.

But Rick was not deterred at he marched them back towards where the car crashed. But to her surprise, the slaves had disappeared. Dr. Bey's body wasn't there either. Anna shuddered to think of what they did with it.

Rick and Ardeth both pushed the car back onto the street and Jonathan started it up. The engine sounded shaky but he reassured them it would get them to where they need to go.

"Where is that?" Jonathan asked Rick as they climbed into the car.

"The air field," was all he said.

"Right."

Anna curled up into herself as Jonathan drove. She was exhausted and needed sleep but Daniels' screams lingered in her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut but she could still see Imhotep taking his skin off. Her stomach rolled dangerously. She was going to be sick again.

"Are you alright?" She heard Ardeth ask her.

She shook her head. "I just watched a man get his skin torn off him and couldn't do anything," she croaked. "No, I am not alright." And then she was leaning over the side of the car and throwing up. She felt someone grab her shirt and she guessed it was Ardeth trying to keep her from falling out again.

She finished puking her guts out and sank back in her seat. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"I'll be okay," she said and tried giving a smile but it seemed to freeze halfway up. "I'm just tired." She yawned and curled back up into a ball and closed her eyes.

**-x-**

**Poor Anna. Watching a man's skipped get ripped off will leave some scars. And now they're on their way back to Hamunaptra to rescue Evy and stop Imhotep once and for all.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter ten!**


	10. Return to Hamunaptra

The hot sun on her face woke her up and Anna blearily opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was resting her head on Ardeth's leg, her fist clenched around a handful of his robes.

Immediately, she sat up and regretted it. Her head gave a painful throb and she groaned. She rubbed her temples and shut her eyes for a moment.

"Morning," Rick said from the front seat. He turned around and handed her a canteen and some fruit. "We decided to just let you sleep through the night."

"Thanks," Anna said and took a long drink. "Sorry for sleeping on you," she said to Ardeth.

"You were tired. I decided it was best not to disturb you," he said. "These past few days must have been trying for you."

"No more-so than you," Anna replied.

She looked ahead, munching on the fruit, and saw a closed off field in front of them. In the distance, she could make out a yellow plane. "This is the airfield?" She asked incredulously.

Jonathan pulled into the field and turned the car off. Ardeth got out and held his hand for Anna. "Thank you," she said sincerely as she took it and he helped her down.

Rick led them a little ways a way to a small sand dune where the drunken, old man from the bar sat under a parasol drinking tea and listening to a record player.

"Morning Winston!" Rick greeted. "Uh, a word?"

"O'Connell!" Winston said enthusiastically. "Good morning. Have some tea."

"We're in a bit of a hurry today, Winston," Rick explained. "We've got a problem and we need your help."

"What's your little problem got to do with His Majesty's Royal Air Corps?" Winston asked.

"His Majesty?" Anna repeated feeling lost. "Isn't it—_oh!_" Winston and Jonathan gave her a weird look. "Ah, nevermind." Guess Queen Elizabeth II wasn't on the throne yet. Anna could have sworn she was. Didn't England celebrate her eightieth year on the throne or something just recently?

"Not a damn thing," Rick ignored Anna's outburst.

Winston put his cup down, his full attention on Rick. "Is it dangerous?" He asked.

"You probably won't live through it," Rick said bluntly.

"By Jove, do you really think so?" Winston asked eagerly.

"Well everyone else we've bumped into has died. Why not you?" Jonathan said.

"What's the, uh, what's the challenge then?"

"Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, and save the world," Rick stated.

Winston laughed, stood up, and saluted Rick. "Winston Havelock at your service, sir!"

He ordered some men to prepare his plane and he beckoned them over. They were all handed caps and goggles and then they had to address the problem of five people for a two-person plane.

"I can strap two of you to the wings," Winston said thoughtfully.

"I'll take the gunner," Rick said.

Jonathan and Ardeth would be strapped to either side of the wings and they were left with the problem of what to do with Anna. "She's skinny, she could squeeze in with O'Connell," Jonathan suggested.

"No," Rick said. "I wouldn't be able to get at the gun."

"Or I could be strapped on your side," Anna said to Jonathan. "Together we shouldn't be that much heavier than Ardeth."

And so Anna found herself strapped next to Jonathan on the left wing. If anything, Anna preferred being in a nice, safe airliner when Winston got them up in the air. The wind whipped her hair around and Anna tried really hard not to look at the ground.

"Are you all right?" She heard Rick shout to them over the wind.

"Do I bloody look alright!" Jonathan shouted back.

"Doing fine!" Anna yelled. "Trying not to look at the ground!"

They passed a sandstorm and Anna felt a foreboding feeling in her gut. "We have to be close, don't we?" She asked Jonathan.

"What?" He shouted in her ear.

"WE HAVE TO BE CLOSE!" She yelled.

But before Jonathan could answer she heard Rick shout, "Hey Winston, peddle faster!"

"Hang on, men!" Winston shouted and the plane dived down.

Anna let loose a scream and she squeezed her eyes shut. The plane leveled up and Anna allowed herself to look behind her. She really wished she didn't.

The face of Imhotep smiled sinisterly at them from a wall of sand. The mouth opened wide and they were engulfed by sand. She heard Jonathan yelling but Anna kept her mouth firmly shut to keep herself inhaling sand. She buried her face into the wing.

"Here I come, laddies!" She heard Winston laughing over the noise.

She opened her eyes as the sand died away but the engine was damaged and Anna braced for impact. The plane landed hard in the sand and Anna heard metal snapping and things cracking. Luckily, the strap kept her on the wing or else she might've been seriously hurt.

"Jonathan," Anna whispered when the plane stilled, "are you okay."

His only response was a groan. Anna wiggled around but the rope still held tight. "Excuse me," Jonathan called. "A little help would be useful if it's not _too much trouble_!"

Rick appeared from the other side of the wing holding his bag. "Yeah, yeah. All right," he grunted.

He undid Jonathan first and he fell to the ground with a _whump_. But with Anna he was gentler and eased her down, setting her on her feet. "You alright?" He asked.

"Let's not do that again," Anna said and winced when she felt a bruise on her ribcage.

Ardeth took the Thompson off the gunner seat and set it against his shoulder while Rick went to check on Winston. "Winston! Hey Winston!"

But the elderly man didn't respond. He was still in the cockpit. Dead, Anna thought glumly. Another one gone.

The plane gave a large creak and began to sink. "Quicksand!" She heard Ardeth shout. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. "Get back, it's quicksand!"

The four of the watched the plan sink beneath the ground and Rick gave Winston one final salute before they started their long trek to Hamunaptra.

"So how do we find the statue of Horus?" Anna asked after a few minutes.

"There is a part of the temple none of us have explored," Ardeth said from behind her. "There was a cave in—it's blocked by rocks but the stories say Horus rests beyond."

"Well that's convenient."

Anna shivered a little as they passed into Hamunaptra. Had they really only been here a few days ago digging for treasure? Only a few days ago so many people were still alive..

_Honestly, if I was Ardeth I would have just blown the damn place sky-high._ But she probably wouldn't have put an ancient, powerful curse on an undead guy in the first place._ Whoever did that was a colossal idiot._

Ardeth led them to the rock-filled entrance and he and Rick began digging while Jonathan directed and Anna watched. She wanted to help but Rick just waved her away.

"I'd take those bigger stones first," Jonathan ordered. "Take them from the top, otherwise the whole thing will cave in on us. Come on, put your backs into it." Rick and Ardeth stood up and stared at Jonathan threateningly.

Jonathan chuckled weakly. "Yes, well, you've got the idea. Chop, chop."

The two men begrudgingly got back to work while Anna snickered. "Nice, Jonathan."

"Oh hush you," he snapped at her. Instead of ordering Rick and Ardeth around, he examined the room they were in. He drew closer to the wall were blue beetles were inlay-ed in.

He pried one out and held It up to his face. "I say. Gents, you should come and have a look at this."

The shell began to crack and Jonathan let out a cry and tossed the thing in a panic. Anna, out of pure reflex, caught it. And to her horror, the same scarabs from earlier came out of the case and bit her arm. Pain shot up her arm as it burrowed into her skin and she started screaming.

"What?" Rick was there next to her.

"It's in my arm!" She wailed.

Rick grabbed her arm and ripped open her shirt sleeve. There was a bulge in her skin as the scarab moved up her arm. "Whoa!" Rick exclaimed_._

"DO SOMETHING!" She shrieked.

Rick grabbed her arm and straightened it. "Hold her," he ordered and Ardeth grabbed her and held her steady against him. Rick pulled out his knife and Anna realized what he was going to do.

"Not that, not that!" But Rick inserted the blade and began to pry the bug out. "HOLY FUCKING SHITBITCH JESUS H. CHRIST," Anna howled, her head falling against Ardeth's shoulder.

The bug came flying out and as it ran back towards them and Rick shot it.

"You cussed worse than a bunch of sailors," Rick said in amazement when he turned back to Anna who was cradling her wounded arm.

"You stuck a knife in me! After a bug tried to kill me!"

She turned her eyes to Jonathan, furious. "You!" She snapped. "Don't touch anything! Don't look at anything, don't think about anything, just don't even do anything!"

"Sorry," Jonathan said, looking very sorry indeed.

"Here." Ardeth gingerly took her arm. He pulled some black fabric from the depths of his robes and dressed her wound.

"Thank you," Anna said gratefully when he finished tying the bandage.

Soon after, Rick and Ardeth cleared the rocks and they filed in. They came out in a darkened chamber. Rick unholstered his hand gun and shot at one of the mirrors. The bullet hit and the mirror reflected the lights, making the room bright.

Anna's jaw dropped. The room before them was filled to the brim with golden treasures. Jonathan floundered for words next to her. "Amazing," she breathed out.

"Can you see—" Jonathan started as they walked down the steps.

"Yeah," Rick said.

"Can you believe—"

"Yeah."

"Can we just—"

"No," Rick said.

"What did I say about touching things?" Anna asked.

Anna heard a croaking noise and the four of the whipped around. Mummies were popping up out the ground!

"You have got to be kidding me!" Anna groaned.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Rick asked.

"Priests," Ardeth replied. "Imhotep's priests."

"All right then." And Rick and Ardeth opened fire.

Jonathan reached around Anna and pulled Rick's hand guns out, handing one to Anna, and started shooting. Anna took careful aim with Rick's other hand gun and squeezed the trigger.

She held on with a steady grip as the gun recoiled but she she managed to hit one in the shoulder. She grinned and shot again, getting one in the head this time.

But the mummy priests kept coming and they were running out of ammunition. Rick grabbed Anna's hand and they all ran for it. They entered a tunnel and Jonathan and Anna ran down it while Ardeth and Rick covered them, shooting priests.

"There he is!" Jonathan exclaimed when they emerged from the tunnel. "Hello Horus, old boy!"

Anna heard a sparking noise and she looked to see Rick holding a stick of dynamite in his hand. "Time to close the door," he said and threw it.

Anna dove for cover behind the statue next to Jonathan and Ardeth and Rick joined her. The explosion caused the room to shake and priests to scream but the room was clear... for now.

Ardeth reloaded Rick's shotgun while Jonathan and Rick pried to the compartment open. Anna was out of bullets so she pocketed the gun.

There was more screeching noises from down the hall and Anna saw shadows in the distance. "Damn, these guys just don't quit, do they?" Rick grumbled.

Ardeth cocked the gun. "Keep digging," he said.

Anna reached down to grab some rocks but she felt something cold around her ankle and then her face met dirt. A priest had popped up from the ground and was pulling her towards him.

"Let go!" She squealed and kicked at its face. "Let go!"

The heel of her shoe connected with his jaw and she heard a _cracking_ sound. She scrambled away as two more showed up and they attacked Rick and Jonathan. But luck was on their side. When the two men landed in a heap and the priests pried the compartment open, a trap activated and the mummies shrieked in pain.

Rick and Jonathan leapt to the compartment and pulled a small box out. They opened it to reveal a beautiful gold book.

"The golden Book of Amun-Ra," Jonathan said in wonderment.

Ardeth's gun _clicked_. He was out of bullets. "Save the girl," he addressed them. "Kill the creature." With a shout, he ran into the hallway, punching mummies.

"What are you waiting for!" Ardeth shouted. "Get out!"

Rick lit another stick of dynamite and he threw Anna into a corner, Jonathan following. Rick dived to join them as the stick blew.

"Let's go!"

But Anna hesitated. She could hear the commotion down the hallway but it sounded like it was getting fainter.

"You go!" She said. "I'll help Ardeth."

"Are you kidding me?" Rick shouted.

"No!" She shouted back. "Just go!" She didn't look back as she ran down the hallway, leaving Rick and Jonathan.

Ardeth had taken the fight back out into the treasure room and he was quickly getting surrounded. Anna did the only thing she could think of from twelve years of soccer. She slide-tackled them. She got one as she slid in, satisfied at hearing another _cracking_ sound when she connected with its ankles.

"Anna?" Ardeth asked, shocked.

Anna grabbed a heavy, gold bowl, stood up, and whacked a priest right across the head with it. "I'm here to help you!" She announced.

_It's just like soccer,_ she reminded herself,_ and they are the ball._ She ran for one and kicked like she would to send the ball down-field. Her kick hit him in the ribs and he fell into another priest. She backed up and grabbed a little statue this time and swung it like a baseball bat.

Beside her, Ardeth had taken his sword out and was slashing limbs and heads off. But Anna wouldn't allow herself to get distracted as she feinted around a priest and pushed it over. She stomped on it with her shoe and was pleased to hear a _crack_.

"Anna, duck!" Ardeth ordered and she did. She felt wind rustle her hair and the head of a priest came rolling down.

She held her statue aloft and brought it down on another priest's head.

And then the room was cleared. Somehow, some way, they managed to defeat the rest of the priests. Anna stood up and gazed around in amazement.

"Thank you," Ardeth said to her and she turned to face him.

For once she smiled genuinely. "You helped me quite a few times so it was my turn to repay the favor."

He chuckled. "Are you hurt?"

"No. Just some bruising but it'll fade."

"That is good."

_Even disheveled he still looks good,_ Anna decided. And a bit of her was tickled to see that he was concerned for her. Maybe she should say something but she didn't know what.

Before she could open her mouth, the walls began to shake and the ceiling began to lower. "Hamunaptra is sinking!" Ardeth exclaimed. He grabbed Anna's hand. "We must go!"

They ran for it. Ardeth pulled her along the long corridors until they burst onto the surface. But they still weren't in the clear because the pillars were falling as well. "The camels!" Anna shouted as they ran for the herd of camels still laying outside the city.

They reached safety with the small herd of camels and they turned to watch Hamunaptra go up into dust. Anna gazed around anxiously hoping for a sign of the other three. To her immense relief, she saw them run out of the city.

"They made it!" Anna whooped in joy. She jumped up and down in joy and before she could think it through, she wrapped her arms Ardeth in a hug.

He stumbled back, eyes wide and then Anna realized what she had done. "Oh..." Her eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry," she blurted. "I was caught up in the moment."

But Ardeth was chuckling. "It is quite alright," he said. His eyes danced with mirth. "Come, I will take you back to your companions."

He helped her into a saddle on a camel and got in his own and they rode for where Rick, Evy, and Jonathan stood. They didn't notice them until Ardeth put his hand on Jonathan's shoulder. Jonathan screamed and they whipped around to see Ardeth and Anna.

"Thank you!" Jonathan cried. "Thank you _very much_!"

"Anna!" Evy exclaimed when she saw Anna ride up. Anna waved happily, glad to see she was safe.

"You've earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people," Ardeth said.

"Yes, well, it was nothing," Jonathan replied still holding his hand over his heart.

"May Allah smile upon you always," Ardeth said. He kissed his hand, touched it to his forehead, and gestured it towards Jonathan, and led his camel away.

"And... youself," Jonathan said as he made a half-assed attempt to mimic Ardeth.

"Stay out of trouble," Rick called to him.

"Bye!" Anna said. _Don't go_, she wanted to add but she didn't. _I hope we meet again._

"He's just leaving us here," Jonathan grumbled. "I guess we go home, empty-handed. _Again._"

"I wouldn't say that," Rick murmured as he stared into Evy's eyes.

Evy stared back and smiled.

"Oh please." Jonathan rolled his eyes.

But Anna grinned as Evy and Rick kissed. _I just won five bucks from myself!_

Jonathan approached a camel. "How 'bout you darling? Would you like a little kissy-wissy?" The camel bayed in his face and he recoiled from the smell.

Jonathan got on his own camel while Rick and Evy shared one. They had one last kiss before they headed back. back to Cairo.

-x-

**And that concludes part one and the end of the first Mummy movie! Now we get to move into something a bit more exciting next round. And then the romance between Anna and Ardeth will really start rolling.**

**On another note, the amazing grapejuice101 wonderfully made a polyvore poster for this story! The link is on my profile if you want to check it out!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter eleven!**


	11. Part II: One Year Later

_**Part II**_

_**-x-**_

_Dear Anna,_

_England is rainy this time of year. It makes me miss the heat of Egypt but I suppose this is my home. I should find some of it endearing, yes?_

_The baby is lively and kicks nearly everyday. The doctors says it shouldn't be too long now. I can't wait. I've been confined to bed and Rick is hovering over me every day, making sure I'm comfortable. It's driving me mad._

_But more than anything, I want to hold my baby in my arms. I so look forward to the day when I can._

_Jonathan and Rick are still working on procuring you a passport so you can join us in England. Rick won't say it but he's so worried about you. He wants to make sure you're safe and in a place where he can keep an eye on you. I know you're capable of handling yourself but it's endearing to watch. It's like he's unintentionally practicing for fatherhood._

_I hope the weather in Cairo is treating you well. Are you still at the Museum? How is the new curator? I hope he is being kind to you. I always look forward to your letters. Rick is too; it is how he knows you are alright._

_Perhaps the next time you hear from me, I'll have a new member of our family wanting to say hello._

_Much love,_

_Evy O'Connell._

Anna read the letter several times over, making sure she understood Evy's cursive writing. Cursive died out when she was in school so she never actually learned it which made reading Evy's letters difficult. And as a result, she felt childish when she wrote back in her curly print.

But the news about Evy, Rick, and Jonathan made her smile.

The three had left for England not too long after they came back from Hamunaptra the final time. And Rick and Evy got married over there. Evy tried to convince Rick to have it in Cairo so Anna could attend but Jonathan pointed out that they needed to get an officiator for the ceremony and they wouldn't be able to find an English-endorsed one in Cairo. So the Carnahans and Rick packed up their belongings and left for England.

Evy hugged Anna fiercely while Rick promised her he would find a way for her to get to England and promised her he wasn't abandoning her.

But that had been a year ago and Anna still had no way to leave Egypt. Evy sent letters on a regular basis. She described the wedding and day to day life in England as their findings from Hamunaptra bought them a sizable house.

And then Evy told Anna she was pregnant.

Anna was happy for Evy and Rick but she couldn't help but feel a little sad. She was sure they would forget about her as they started a family but she was reassured when Jonathan came for visits. He told her they were doing everything they can to get Anna out but it was a slow process as she had no documentation from anywhere. They had to go the illegal route and decided to be careful so Anna wouldn't get in trouble when she tried to leave Egypt or enter England.

But she was happy they were still trying and it pleased her to see Jonathan cross the threshold of her door on a visit. But with the baby so close to being due, he was staying in England long-term to welcome his niece or nephew.

Anna cracked her knuckles and picked up a pen to write a letter back.

_Dear Evy,_

_Cairo weather is still very hot but it doesn't bother me as much as it did. I've gotten used to it which is a funny thing. I mean, San Fransisco was hot but we sat on an ocean side and went swimming everyday. Here, we only have the Nile and there's no swimming in there. I've heard about the Nile's famous crocodiles but I haven't seen them yet! I suppose that's a good thing._

_The Museum is doing well. Mr. Rashad took over for Mr. Bey after his death and he treats me kindly. It also helps that I haven't knocked over any bookshelves or raised any mummies from the dead! I'm kidding, Evy._

_I hope the birth goes smoothly for you, Evy, and I can't wait to see a picture of Junior. Tell Rick I'm still alive and no one has kidnapped me, threatened to do bodily harm, or harassed me._

_Love,_

_Anna._

That was good enough to tell Evy and Rick she was fine.

She folded the paper up and slipped it into an envelope. She would send it tomorrow on her way to the bazaar.

When Evy departed her job, she left a good word at the museum and Anna was able to take over the librarian position. Six months later, they got a new curator: an elderly man named Rashad. He wasn't strict like Mr. Bey and was on a first name basis with everyone.

Anna liked him well enough but there were times when she caught him staring at her. It wasn't in a creepy way but rather as if he was examining her curiously. She didn't think much of it; she probably looked like a granddaughter or something. That, or he was curious about her oddities: the tattoos and the piercings.

She stood up from her desk and walked into her bedroom and got ready for bed.

It had been a year since Hamunaptra. One year since all the Americans died and one year since she had seen the handsome Medjai, Ardeth Bay.

A part of her hoped she would see him again but Cairo was a big place and who knows if he actually ventured into the city. He probably thought she left like Evy and Rick.

She didn't know why that thought hurt so much.

Anna fell into bed and curled into a ball under her covers.

Being alone in Cairo was interesting. On one hand, it felt like she was finally living an independent life. On the other hand, she was incredibly homesick. Not only did she miss her own time but she missed Evy and Rick and Jonathan. She missed practicing Ancient Egyptian with Evy, Rick's over-protectiveness, and Jonathan's lighthearted attempts to get her to drink alcohol.

She had been grounded around them but when they were gone, her world uprooted. There were some nights when she had terrible nightmares. She dreamed about Henderson and Daniels and their deaths. She'd wake up in the middle of the night crying. Other times she dreamed Imhotep had his hands wrapped around her throat and she'd wake gasping for breath.

A part of her knew she hadn't dealt with their deaths yet but the other part just pushed the memories farther in her mind. Instead, she kept herself busy at the museum and doubled her efforts in learning Arabic. And she promised herself once she was fluent in Arabic, she would start learning Hebrew.

As a result, she often collapsed into bed, exhausted, and had dream-free nights.

Anna rolled over and tried to think of Evy and the baby and what it would like look when it was born. She hoped she'd be able to leave and meet them someday soon.

-x-

Anna woke up early the next morning and stretched. No nightmares last night, she noted to herself. That was good.

She brushed her hair and dressed in light brown harem pants, an olive green top, and tan hijab. She smiled in the mirror but her face cracked. Anna could not deny that she missed twenty-first century clothing. _But at least these clothes are more comfortable than the skirt and blouses the Englishwomen wear._

She ate a quick breakfast of _ful medames*_ and grabbed some bags and money before leaving her, once formerly Evy's, apartment.

The biggest bazaar (also called a souk) in Cairo was the Khan el-Khalili. It was a gorgeous market originally set over an old mausoleum. The buildings were old and coppery-colored and made arched passageways overhead. And every bit of it was covered with stalls and vendors selling their ways. It was like a mix of that bazaar scene from Aladdin and the flea markets back home but on a bigger scale.

For the most part, vendors sold souvenirs for the tourists but deeper in the souk were the vendors who sold other goods, such as food. And that was where Anna headed when she entered the souk.

Vendors called out to her in broken English to browse their wares. Anna merely smiled at them and thanked them politely in Arabic as she headed down another path. But it was hard to resist the urge to go into every corner and examine the gorgeous jewelry and clothes.

Later, she promised herself. She would go shopping for clothes and accessories later when she had more money. Rick offered some of the money they made from their findings to Anna but she declined. It didn't feel right to her.

Eventually, she found Hassan, the bean vendor, one street over. Hassan reminded he of her step-dad: cheerful, friendly, and tall and thin with a wiry beard.

"Ah, Anna," he said in a heavily accented voice. "It is good to see you today."

"You as well, Hassan," Anna replied cheerfully.

"What can I get you today?"

"I need fava beans and lentils, please."

Hassan gave her enough to last her a couple days. One of the things Anna found different from America was that people only took enough food for a few days so they could ensure they always had fresh food. She actually found it to be a wonderful change from fast food and frozen dinners and chemical treatments in her produce.

"Thank you so much, Hassan," Anna said as she handed over money.

He bowed his head. "Have a good day, Anna. I hope to see you again."

She smiled and said her goodbyes before heading for the next stall. The bread stall became her number one weakness while living in Cairo. She could never resist buying a loaf of either pita or flat bread to use for dinner. It was absolutely delicious and destroyed whatever sense of willpower she had.

As she was trying to decide if she wanted one loaf or two (to share with people at work) she felt a presence next to her. Figuring it was someone else looking to buy bread, she paid them no mind until she heard a quiet voice say in her ear, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Anna."

Anna gasped and whirled around, her hand over her heart. There was no mistaking that voice or the tattoos on his forehead and cheeks. Ardeth Bay stood next to her, clear as day.

But he wasn't wearing his usual black robes. Instead, he wore a plain, white gellabiya** which brightened his features. _He has the prettiest brown eyes,_ she thought.

"Ardeth!" She exclaimed. "I didn't think I would see you again. Not after..." She glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "The incident."

He smiled and Anna felt a flutter in her stomach.

"What are you doing here," she blurted.

"We come to city sometimes to buy supplies for our camps. We can't find everything we need in the desert," he explained. "I offered to go this time."

"Well lucky for me we ran into each other," Anna said.

"I must admit, I was hoping I'd would find you while I was here," he said.

She turned back to the baker and ducked her head low to hide her blushing face. She handed money over and bought a loaf of flat bread and thanked the vendor.

"Shopping for yourself?" Ardeth started walking and gestured for Anna to join him, and she fell into step with him.

"Yes."

"Where are O'Connell and the Carnahan siblings?"

"Ah, they all went back to England. London, specifically. Evy and Rick got married and now they're expecting a baby," Anna told him.

"And they left you here?" She looked over to Ardeth and noticed his brow was furrowed in confusion and… concern?

"Well," Anna said and chewed on her lip. "I don't have proper documentation, a passport, to leave Egypt. I can't legally leave and I'd rather not find out what the immigration laws are."

They made a stop at another stall and Anna bought some imported tea and added them to her bag. Ardeth offered to carry her bag for her but Anna declined. She'd carried more weight than this at the museum.

"So you're telling me," Ardeth said as they continued on, "you're on your own?"

"Yes." She bought some dates and bananas. She put the bananas in her bag and snacked on the plum. She offered one to Ardeth and he took it.

"How have you been living this past year?"

"I took over Evy's job at the Museum of Antiquities as a librarian. And I'm living in her old apartment."

Then a pang of guilt went through her. Dr. Bey worked at the museum before his death. He had been a friend of Ardeth's and a Medjai.

"That is good to hear," he said politely.

"It's fun, I really like it. And it helps me practice my Arabic."

"_Is that so?"_ He asked in Arabic.

"_Yes it is. I'm almost fluent. And then I'm going to learn Hebrew." _Anna grinned at him and she was pleased to see him smile back.

"_A large task. Very few among my people speak Hebrew."_

"_I think it'll be fun. I can only assume some Hebrew is spoken here considering the ties the Isrealites have here."_

"_That is true,"_ Ardeth agreed. _"There are also some ancient texts written in Hebrew."_

"_I know. That's why I want to learn to read and write and speak it."_

Much to Anna's disappointment, they reach one of the edges of the souk. All her shopping was done. "Have you done all your shopping?" She asked him. Deep inside, she wanted to continue talking to him.

He shook his head. "We're leaving in two days. If you'd like to speak with me, come back here. I will be around."

She smiled. "I look forward to it."

They parted ways but Anna turned around to address him one last time. "It was nice to see you under a non-life or death situation."

Ardeth smiled back at her and Anna swore her knees went weak. "And you as well, Anna."

She liked how her name sounded when he said it.

-x-

Anna entered the museum the next day feeling rather cheerful. Seeing Ardeth yesterday boosted her mood and she had a nightmare-free night again.

She waved to Mohammad and Bob as she entered the library. Already a stack of new books needing to be put in the system awaited her on a desk.

Just as she reached her desk, someone else entered the library.

"Ah, Anna!"

Rashad, the new curator, smiled at her warmly. He seemed be the same age as Dr. Bey if not a little older. He had a bushy, salt and pepper beard, and dark eyes behind round glasses. And like the late Dr. Bey, he wore a red fez.

"Good morning Rashad," she greeted.

"Those books can wait for a moment," he said and waved her over. "I want you to meet some people."

She followed him into his office—just a year ago Dr. Bey's office where Evy and Jonathan told him about Hamunaptra—to find three people sitting on chairs in front of the desk.

"Mr. King," Rashad started at the people stood up.

The first man wore an impeccable, gray, three-piece suit. He had a handsome face (all angles and clean shaven,) slicked back black hair, and bright blue eyes.

The other man wore pants and a shirt and a simple jacket. He wasn't bad looking per se, but nowhere near as handsome as the other one. He had messy brown hair and brown eyes so dark, they almost looked black.Anna felt her shoulders tensed when he grinned at her because she felt like he was bearing his teeth at her instead.

But the woman was a completely different matter. She was dressed in a skin-tight, red dress and had a fur scarf wrapped around her neck. A _fur_ scarf in _Egypt._ Her black hair was done up in a fancy bun, and diamonds glittered from her neck and ears.

She was easily the most beautiful woman Anna had ever seen.

"This is Benjamin King and his wife, Camilla, and their business associate, David Hunter," Rasha introduced. "Our new beneficiaries. Mr. King, this is Anna Campbell, our librarian."

Benjamin, the man in the suit, held his hand out. Anna took it, noting his firm grip, and shook. "Pleasure to meet you."

Benjamin smiled at her. "Pleasure's all mine, Anna."

-x-

*****_**Ful medames**_** are mashed fava beans that are cooked with oil, chopped parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. When eaten for breakfast, it is accompanied by an egg.**

****A **_**gellabiya**_** (also spelled jellabiya) is a traditional, long-sleeved, male garment. It resembles a long tunic.**

**Some of you thought I was jumping right into Returns but I'm doing an original arc between the movies for progression of Anna's and Ardeth's relationship. So this story is far from over.**

**But Evy, Rick, and Jonathan have moved back to England. What is in store for Anna as she is all alone in Egypt? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter twelve!**


	12. The Attempt

Rashad bid Anna goodbye and took the Kings and David on a tour of the museum, leaving Anna to her work. The Kings were the ones behind the new wing to be unveiled in a few months, as Anna heard when they left the library, and they wanted to examine its progress and make sure everything was going as planned.

"How is the dig going in Thebes?" She heard Rashad ask in the distance.

Anna's head popped up. A new dig? She hadn't heard anything about a new dig. What were they looking for?

Curiosity got the best of her and instead of putting books back on the shelves, she walked over to the door and listened to the fading conversation.

"It is going well," she heard Benjamin say. "We're getting closer and closer to our breakthrough. It should be any day now."

"And you are sure it's there?" Rashad asked eagerly.

"Positive. All the texts point to it being there..."

Anna strained to catch more of what Benjamin was saying as his voice became fainter and fainter. She wanted to know what they were looking for so she could tell Evy—

"It's rude to eavesdrop, Anna."

She jumped, nearly dropping her books. Across from her, David Hunter leaned against a nearby pillar, watching her.

"I wasn't—I didn't mean to," she said lamely.

He grinned lazily and started walking towards her. "Of course you weren't," he drawled.

Anna began backing up, not liking David's attitude towards her. It was setting off alarm bells in her head. "I just wanted to know about the dig," she whispered. Her back hit a bookshelf and she cursed. She was trapped.

David placed a hand next to Anna's head and she involuntarily flinched. "I could… take you there myself if you want to see it so badly."

She smiled weakly and darted out from under him. "No thank you," she told him and walked back to her desk.

He followed her. "You sure? We could get to know one another there." He smiled and Anna felt a shiver go up her spine. "Exciting digs, finding new discoveries, it always gets the blood pumping."

"No thank you," she said again. One more remark like that and she was going to hit him in the face with a book.

"Why do you wear that?" He asked her, giving her dark blue hijab a scowl. "You aren't like _those_ people."

"I wear it because it's practical," Anna said through gritted teeth. Her fingers tightened over a book.

"I'll bet you'll look even better without it—"

"David."

They both looked up to see Benjamin standing in the doorway, fiddling with his cuff links, and wearing a look of stern disappointment on his face. "Are you keeping Miss Campbell from her work?" He asked David coolly.

David straightened up. "No sir," he replied.

"Good. I hate to see my museum lag behind because someone is unable do their job," Benjamin said. "It's time for us to return to the hotel. Camilla insists on having an early lunch."

"Yes sir," David replied. He turned back to Anna and winked. "Until next time, Anna."

Anna was glad to see him exit. Benjamin gave her a proper goodbye with a bow of his head and left as well.

Once David was out of sight, it was only until then that she let go of the book she had been gripping tightly. She didn't not like that David person. He unnerved her. _And for good reason,_ she thought. _Such a creep._

For the rest of her day, she went about her business: she put books away, cataloged them, had a quick lunch at her desk, and finished up the day by organizing documents for Rashad.

"So this is what an adult life is like," she said to herself as she gathered up her belongings at the end of the day. "Monotonous days every day." What she wouldn't give for some television or something. Had television been invented yet? It had to be soon… Like, they had television during World War II and that was coming up in a little over a decade.

But what was she going to watch, that was the question. It would be years until modern entertainment came around like Star Trek or Gilligan's Island. _Hell, what were the popular shows back than or rather, coming up in a few years of so?_ She never had been a fan of old television; most of it was really campy with bad effects or over the top acting.

"God, will I really be thirty by the time World War II breaks out," she said softly.

Her twentieth birthday had come and gone without a whisper to anyone. Evy sent her a happy birthday note in her letter just after it but Anna had gone to work and went home.

She should be back home eating cake and ice cream while her mom and John sang 'Happy Birthday' to her off key. But here she was, in Cairo Egypt in 1927 still without any idea how she got here or how to get back.

Her predicament was easier to accept when she had been with Evy. The woman made Anna feel welcome no matter what but now that she had a year alone to herself, her strength was weakening. She was tired every night and the nightmares did nothing to help her.

She turned the corner that would take her back to her apartment and stopped.

A light was on in her bedroom. She never left a light on because of gas lights. They could easily spark a flame and destroy the building.

Someone was in her apartment.

Anna glanced around the street but saw no one. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously entered the building and slowly headed up the stairs.

Her apartment was the second one on the right on the second floor. As quietly as she could, she climbed the stairs and on her floor, she found her door was ajar.

Heart thumping in fear, she crouched behind a potted plant and listened for anyone within.

There were footsteps— multiple footsteps, she noted—walking around and then she heard voices. They were talking lowly and she couldn't hear. She moved around the plant so she was closer to the door and then she managed to make out what they were saying.

"She should be home by now," someone said.

"We shoulda just grabbed her on her way home from the museum," a second added.

"Shut up," a gruff voice said. "Our employer wanted this done as quietly as possible as not to alert anyone. There would be a better chance for someone to come across us if we ambushed her in the streets. Here, we have the upper hand because she won't expect someone being here."

There were waiting for her, she realized in terror. And she was not waiting around to find out why.

She stood up, intending to slip away, but her bag caught on the edge of the planter pot. She scrambled to catch it but it slipped through her fingers and crashed into the floor with a loud _CRACK_.

The voices inside faltered and Anna switched into flight mode. She leaped over the broken pot and ran down the stairs. She heard someone shout, "hey!" behind her but she was already at the bottom floor.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs as she shoved the door open and bolted. She didn't know where she should go but she knew it had to be anywhere they couldn't follow. She only hoped they weren't as fast as her.

"There!" She heard someone yell and it spurred her on to go faster.

It had been a year and a half since soccer and a year since running from mummies but she kept ahead of them. That Zombies, Run! app had been worth it in the end.

She passed a familiar stone arc and realized she was heading towards the souk. _Yes!_ The souk was incredibly expansive. If she could lose them there, she could get away scott-free.

Anna saw the first stand and she dove for it. She slid behind the cloth and scrambled out the other side, hiding under the stand behind it.

Just as she thought of heading for a third one, the footsteps got louder. They had caught up.

"Shit," she heard one say. "This place is huge. She could be anywhere."

"Then start flipping the tables," the man with the gruff voice snapped.

Panic welled in her chest as she heard a table crashing down to the ground. She peeked out from her hiding place and saw the men spreading out, flipping tables as they did.

Staying low, she crawled to another stand. And luckily too because she heard the table she was just under get tossed. She couldn't stay in one place, she needed to keep moving…

Somehow, through some strange stroke of luck, she managed to stay ahead of them while moving from stand to stand. She was barely able to make out exactly where she was in the souk but she knew it well enough to have a general idea of where she was. There was another exit at the far end, where she was heading. If she got there, she could slip away. She didn't know where she'd go but it was a start.

The sounds of the men grew distant as she reached the edge. She deemed it safe enough to walk around. But she didn't linger. She hurried out the exit, towards freedom.

A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, dragging her back into an alleyway. One arm wrapped around her while the other clamped around her mouth, muffling her scream.

_No!_ She thought and kicked out wildly.

"Anna!" Someone was saying in her ear. "Anna, it's me!"

She stilled as the person let go of her and turned her around. "Ardeth?" She asked weakly.

Ardeth Bay stood before her, wearing his normal black robes, and looking rather grave. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

She could have cried in relief. "How did you know I was here?"

"The place where I'm staying at has a window above the souk. I saw you enter and the men following you," he explained. "Who were they?"

There was the sound of shattering glass and both of their heads snapped around to stare into the souk. "No idea," she whispered. "They were waiting for me at my apartment. They… want me for some reason. I don't know."It seemed so stupid when she said it like that but it was true.

But he seemed to accept her explanation, no matter how insane it sounded. "Come on, this way," he said and took her hand.

She didn't even think about it as she followed him through the dark. She trusted Ardeth. He led her through several side streets to a building she realized she passed while running from the mysterious would-be kidnappers.

"Inside," he whispered to her.

She entered the safety of the building they climbed the stairs to the top floor. He opened a door and ushered her inside.

But she stopped short when she heard the cocking of a gun and saw the barrel of a revolver pointed at her. "Don't shoot!" She cried and held her hands up.

In a flash, Ardeth was in front of her, shielding her. "Yusuf, put it down," he ordered.

"Ardeth," the man now known as Yusuf said. "Who is she?"

He withdrew from Anna's side and shut the door. "Anna, this is Yusuf. He is another member of the Medjai. Yusuf, I'd like you to meet Anna."

Yusuf had to be only a few years older than Anna. His hair was short but seemed like he was growing it out and had a scruffy beard. "I remember you," he said slowly. "You were at Hamunaptra a year ago. We saved you from the creature in the tunnels."

She remembered. She had been trying to get Mr. Burns out when they got separated from the group but Imhotep caught up to them. He would have killed both her and Mr. Burns had it not been for the Medjai's timely interference.

"Yes, that was me," she said.

Yusuf looked at Ardeth, his dark eyes looking rather disgruntled. "Why have you brought her here?"

There was a cracking sound outside and all three of them turned their attention to the window. Ardeth moved swiftly and placed himself next to the window to look out. "They're leaving," he said to them.

He put his hand up, stopping Yusuf from lighting a candle. "Don't. We don't want to attract attention."

"What is going on, Ardeth?" Yusuf hissed.

"Some men tried to ambush me at my apartment tonight," Anna whispered. "I ran for it and entered the souk."

"That's why you ran from this room without a word to me?" Yusuf asked irritably.

"Yes," Ardeth said curtly.

Anna cautiously crossed the room over to Ardeth's side and peeked out. Like Ardeth said, the men were leaving and judging by some of their body language, they were upset and most likely angry.

"Who are they?" Yusuf joined them at the window, watching the men.

Anna shook her head. "I don't know," she said truthfully. "I didn't get a look at any of their faces."

"They're wearing hoods," Ardeth remarked. "You wouldn't be able to see who they were anyway."

"Should we investigate?" Yusuf asked Ardeth.

Ardeth shook his head. "No. We stay here for the night. And we'll plan our next move tomorrow morning."

"Our next move?" Yusuf repeated. "Why? They don't concern us. They aren't looking to upset the balance in the desert."

"They tried to harm and kidnap my friend," Ardeth replied sharply. "And _that_ concerns me."

Anna couldn't help it but a strange, warm feeling blossomed in her chest at Ardeth's words. And she felt a surge of gratitude towards him. "Thank you," she said.

"You can sleep in my bed, Anna," Ardeth said and opened another door for her. "I will sleep elsewhere."

Anna's ears burned. "You don't have to," she said quickly. "I'm fine on the couch or something."

But Ardeth shook his head. "I insist, Anna."

She relented. "Okay."

The room, like the one outside, was furnished simply. There was a plain bed and a bedside table and a small chest for clothes and the like. But other than that, the room was bare.

She sat down on the bed and unwound her hijab. Ardeth turned to leave. "Ardeth," she said suddenly. He looked back. "Thank you for helping me," she said sincerely. "I don't know what would've happened had you not been there."

He smiled. "It was nothing. I would not have left you out there by yourself."

And then he left the room, closing the door behind him.

-x-

**And the plot thickens! Who are those men and why are they after Anna? Thankfully Ardeth was there to lend a helping hand. And what is up with this David character? Important questions that only I know the answer to.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter thirteen!**


	13. The Ambush

Anna awoke in a slight panic when she didn't recognize her surroundings. But, in a rush of memories, the events of last night caught up to her. There were men in her apartment and they chased her to the souk before Ardeth found her and let her take refuge in the room he was staying in.

She sat up and stretched before climbing out of bed. She briefly considered putting her hijab on to hide her tousled hair but decided against it. Her mind and body were still tired and she didn't feel like dealing with the cloth right now.

She opened the door and found Ardeth and Yusuf, both fully dressed, and sitting around a table of food.

"Anna," Ardeth said warmly and stood up. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty well, actually," she replied as he ushered her to sit at the table.

Anna sat and piled food onto her plate. Ardeth sat back down and resumed eating his breakfast while Yusuf gave Anna a slightly disgruntled look but looked down back at his plate. They ate in silence for a few moments before Anna broke it. "Thank you again for letting me stay here."

"I would not have turned you out into the street in the dark with those men out there," Ardeth said.

She smiled and returned to her breakfast.

-x-

Despite Yusuf's silent looks of annoyance, Ardeth insisted he walk Anna back to her apartment in case anyone was waiting for her there. Instead of civilian clothing, he dressed in his Medjai clothing. Anna saw him slip his sword under his robes but other than that, he looked as if he was unarmed.

On the way, they spoke in hushed tones though it wasn't like anyone going about their business was listening to them anyway.

"Was anyone asking questions when you came back from Hamunaptra?" Ardeth asked.

Anna shrugged. "As far as I know, no. Evy was the one responsible for selling the treasure we found on the camel. And by selling, I mean most of it went to museums either here in Cairo or in London. But I don't think she said it was from Hamunaptra."

"What about the museum? We lost our eyes in there after Terrence died."

"Rashad is a kind man. A little bumbly but he means well. I can't see him doing something like that," Anna said. She trailed off when she remembered David. He unnerved her when he corned her in the library yesterday. What if it was David?

"Anna?" Ardeth asked.

She jumped. "Oh, I, uh. There was someone at the museum yesterday. His name was David. He didn't know the meaning of personal space."

A thunderous look crossed his face. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No. He was just... I don't even know how to say it. Just creepy, I suppose."

"You think he was the one in your apartment last night?"

Anna thought back to last night as she listened to the men in her apartment. None of them sounded like David but she didn't even know how many were in there. Three at least but there had been more, considering how fast they knocked down tables in the souk when looking for her. "I don't know," she admitted.

No one seemed to notice that there had been a commotion at Anna's apartment when they reached her building. Even the broken pot was gone.

Ardeth insisted that he go in first when they came to her door. She obliged and let him open the door and enter.

"Nothing," he announced after a moment. "No one's here."

She crossed the threshold of her door. It was just like how she left it this morning. The pillows were still in their same places on the couch, her food was still in her pantry, even the Arabic books she had been reading were still on her dining table.

"They left everything untouched," she marveled. She thought she would have come back to a messy apartment, imaging the men tore everything apart.

"As if they didn't want anyone to know they were here," Ardeth remarked.

Even her bedroom was in pristine condition. None of her clothes were missing, her bed was made, and her shoes were stacked neatly in her closet. "Did they clean?" Anna asked aloud. "I don't remember leaving my bedroom like this." She had always been a bit of a slob and she normally left her bed askew for that reason.

Someone made her bed but why?

"Did you say something?" Ardeth appeared in her doorway.

"I don't make my bed," Anna said to him. "But someone made it. Why?" 

Their eyes met. "So it wouldn't raise suspicion if you disappeared," Ardeth said firmly. "They must have wanted to kidnap you."

"Like there wouldn't be evidence here if they thought I went missing on the street," Anna said thoughtfully. "As if that would help. Egypt doesn't have a CSI team."

"A what?"

Right. CSI probably didn't exist. Man that show was pretty good. "Uh," Anna cleared her throat. "Crime Scene Investigation. Kinda self-explanatory when you think about it."

"I see," he said slowly, obviously not convinced.

Anna awkward rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, can you step outside for a moment?" He stared at her blankly and she gestured to her clothes in the closet. "So I can get changed?"

He drew back, startled. "Of course," he said quickly. He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Anna chuckled and started changing. She would have liked to take a bath first but she didn't want to make Ardeth wait longer that he had too. And she was late for work too.

She brushed out her hair and quickly changed into black harem pants, a light blue blouse, and a gray hijab. _At least the hijab hides my messy hair,_ she thought as she checked how she looked in the mirror. Well she had better days but she wasn't looking too horrible.

"I'm ready," she announced as she left her room.

Ardeth looked up from one of her Arabic books. "Ready for what?" He asked.

"I need to go to work," Anna said. "I'm already late."

But Ardeth shook his head. "You shouldn't. Those men could be there lying in wait for you."

"I have to go," Anna said stubbornly. "Rashad is probably wondering where I am. I can't just abandon my position as librarian because of some twisted psycho."

Ardeth's face scrunched up in confusion. "Twisted psycho?" He repeated.

"Uh, lunatic? Crazy person," Anna tried to explained. "But I can't just hide out in my apartment. What if they come back? At least the museum is big enough for me to hide somewhere or run." As an afterthought she added, "and it has some heavy pots to hit people on the head with."

His lips twitched in a smile but he still stared at her seriously. "Then I will go with you."

"Suit yourself." Another look of confusion. "Fine," she said. "I don't have a problem with you coming along. But we should hurry. I'm really late."

They walked at a quick pace towards the museum. Anna wondered if Ardeth was thinking about Dr. Bey as they came closer to the museum. He probably hadn't been back since the night he died.

But the night Dr. Bey died wasn't something Anna thought about often either. It had too many bad memories.

She and Ardeth came to a stop in front of the museum. "Listen Anna," Ardeth started and she turned to look at him and he at her. "I will wait by the back entrance, where we escaped the Creature and his horde."

She nodded. "Okay."

"And if you sense anything amiss in there, promise me you will come find me. Promise me, Anna."

"I promise," she said.

She headed inside into the cool shade of the foyer and walked past several exhibits, intending to see if Rashad was in his office and apologize for being late.

But his office was empty. _That's odd_, Anna thought. Rashad liked to be available to everyone at all time and he was normally in his office at all hours with exception of early morning when he made his good morning rounds to the employees.

Anna exited the library and looked around. The main room was strangely empty and goosebumps broke out on her arms. "Rashad?" She called out. No answer. "Ab-dul? Mohammad?" But no one answered her as she went from room to room, looking for anyone. "Bob?"

The museum was empty. Every single staff member was absent and even visitors where nowhere in sight.

Maybe she should go back outside and find Ardeth? Something was up in the museum and he did make her promise to go find him if she thought something was wrong. And something was definitely wrong here, she could feel it. She shivered again as an uneasy feeling washed through her.

She turned a corner, intending to head for the back entrance where Ardeth was, when she spotted someone sitting casually in the same chair Dr. Bey had been in last year when he explained who Imhotep was. But when she recognized who was in the chair, she stopped cold.

David smirked at her from his spot in the chair. "Fancy seeing you here, Anna."

"What are you doing here?" She blurted.

"I was waiting for you," he replied easily. "I was hoping we'd… get to _know_ each other a little better." He slid off the chair and stood up and started walking towards her.

Against her better judgment, she slid to right instead of heading out of the room and back down the stairs. "I think we know each other well enough," she said. "Not at all and that's fine with me."

"But we so narrowly missed each other before." He grinned at her like a predator staring down its prey. "There's no need to _run_, Anna."

It hit Anna like a brick. "It was _you_," she breathed out. "You were the one waiting for me in my apartment last night."

David's grin only got bigger. "I loved the chase last night, Anna. It got all sorts of blood pumping. In fact, I wasn't as angry when you got away. It prolongs things, don't you think?"

She didn't even try to rebuff him again. She ran for it. But she underestimated how close he had already gotten to her. Before she could even get three feet, she felt him enclose a hand on her wrist and yank her back. She hit a hard chest before he wrapped his arm around her chest, trapping her against him.

Anna kicked out with her feet and opened her mouth in a scream. David let go of her wrist and slammed his palm across her mouth. She managed to find purchase on the flesh of his palm and bit down as hard as she could.

"Argh!" David howled and ripped his hand away.

"Let go of me!" Anna yelled, hoping that Ardeth heard her.

As she was flailing and fighting against David she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a flash of black.

"Anna!" Her heart soared when she heard Ardeth's voice. There was a rush of wind above her as she saw Ardeth rush David and she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Ardeth had punched David. "Let go of her!"

David's grip on Anna was released and she flew away from him as Ardeth pulled her away and put her behind him. She clung to the fabric of his robes and peeked around him. David was holding onto his nose as he stumbled away from Ardeth who still had his fists up.

David pulled his hands away from his face, revealing a bloody nose. "You'll give her back to me if you know what's goof for you," he snarled, blood dripping down his face.

"Never," Ardeth said fiercely. He knocked over another chair and it fell onto David. He took Anna's hand and together, they ran for the exit, leaving David behind cursing them.

The ran into the streets of Cairo, Ardeth pulling her along as they ran down streets that Anna had never seen before. People scrambled out of their way as they ran.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked as they turned down several corners and alleyways.

"Into the desert," Ardeth replied.

They came to a stable and Ardeth ushered her inside. Yusuf was already there, saddling a horse. "What's going on?" He asked when he saw the two of them, breathing heavily and faces sweating. His eyes traveled down to their joined hands and Anna quickly pulled her hand out of Ardeths' grip.

Ardeth didn't seemed fazed. "I will explain on the way," He replied to Yusuf as he took another black horse and got a saddle off the wall.

"Anna, can you ride a horse?" Ardeth asked.

Anna shook her head. "No I can't."

"But you rode a camel before." Ardeth said, looking alarmed.

"Because it was following Rick's camel," she replied. "And I had a stick to spur him on. And Fuzzy was real easy going too."

If he was confused by her calling the camel she rode Fuzzy, he didn't say anything. He attached a bridle to the horse and checked the straps.

He beckoned Anna over to his horse and picked her up by the waist. She let out a squeak of surprise as he helped her sit in the saddle before climbing up himself. His arms came around her as he took the reigns and Anna was glad her face was already red from running.

Ardeth spurred the horse forward and the horses took off at a gallop into the desert towards an unknown destination.

-x-

David stumbled through the museum, trying to staunch the blood flow coming from his nose. "When I see that Medjai again, I'll kill him," he swore to himself.

He grabbed a linen cloth from an exhibit and wiped the blood off, not caring if he just ruined a priceless artifact.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "What happened?" Rashed came into the room, looking aghast at the bloody cloth.

"The Medjai interrupted me," David scowled.

A dark look crossed Rashad's face. "She got away?" He demanded. "You let her get away?"

"I didn't _let_ her," David snapped. "I didn't know the Medjai was with her!"

"We needed her and now she's gone!" Rashad continued, starting to pace. "I should have handed her over myself! But now the Medjai swept her away to the desert and it's impossible to find their camps."

"I'll find her and those Medjai."

But Rashad shook his head. "People have been trying to find them for centuries but no one has ever been successful." He glared at David. "He is going to be very displeased with you and I won't blame Him."

"I'll tell Him I will find her and not to worry."

"This is your second failed attempt. Do you think He is going to give you a third?"

"Shut up," David snarled. "I'll get her, mark my words. That girl is _mine._"

-x-

**The plot thickens! Again. But now Anna's attacker has a face: David. Was anyone surprised? Probably not. Thankfully Ardeth was there to lend a hand, yeah? But what does David and Rashad want with Anna? And who is this mysterious "Him"? Stayed tuned to find out!**

**And this story has gotten over one hundred reviews! Thanks so much for your support guys! I love hearing from each and every one of you. Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter fourteen!**


	14. The Medjai

For the second morning in a row, Anna awoke in an unfamiliar room. But instead of a ceiling like yesterday, she saw a brown canopy. She could smell burning wood in the distance and she felt a gentle breeze coming from across the room.

She groaned and stretched, working out the knots in her legs. She had fallen asleep on the horse, her head resting against Ardeth's chest. It was funny how she hadn't been able to sleep while riding her camel, Fuzzy, but with Ardeth's arms on either side of her and his scent filling her nostrils, she was out like a light.

But sleeping on a horse still left soreness in her legs. She winced when her calf protested as she stretched it too far. _Time to get up._ She swung her legs over the side of the cot and sat up.

She was in a tent filled with rolled up blankets and pillows. There were cooking utensils sitting on a small table in the corner and another table with chairs set closer to the center. In the middle of the room, there was a low fire with a cooking stove set above it. There were rugs stretched about the ground, which was firm under her feet, Anna noticed.

The flap of the tent opened, sending a stream of light in, and a woman walked in. She wore all black, a niqab and an abaya. "_Ah, you're awake,_" the woman said in Arabic. She reached up and took off the niqab.

Her hair was gray streaked with white but her tanned skin was only starting to wrinkle but she had crow's feet on the corners of her dark brown eyes. She clucked her tongue at Anna's disheveled appearance. "_The entire camp was astir when Ardeth Bay came riding in with an unconscious European woman in his arms. The Elders caused quite a fuss._"

Anna flushed red. "_I'm American, actually,_" She said. "_My name is Anna Campbell._"

The woman's mouth twitched. "_It does not matter to me. But you speak Arabic well enough. You have some pronunciation issues that only an American would have. But you'd be surprised how many words the English butcher._"

Anna blinked in surprise. And here she thought Ardeth was among the few who went into the cities. But guessing by how the old the woman looked, she had probably gone to some as well.

The woman walked past Anna and set to work at the table over in the corner. "_Sit_," she commanded, pointing a finger at a chair and Anna did, deciding it best not to argue. Within minutes, the woman came back with a skillet and set it on the stove. Anna recognized the fava beans and the smell wafted into her nose as she added dried spices to the dish.

"_Ardeth told us you were part of the group that stopped the creature,"_ she said as she stirred. "_That calmed the Elders down but they're still disgruntled._" She peered at Anna who looked back at her apprehensively. "_You did raise him in the first place._"

Anna chuckled nervously. "_I wasn't the one who did it but yes—we were responsible._ _So these Elders don't like me. Is there anything else I should know?_ _Where's Ardeth?_"

She shook her head slowly. "_The Elders will want to talk to you eventually. Ardeth is most likely with them._" She removed the skillet from the stove and walked back over to the table. She came back with two bowls and handed Anna one. "_But first, eat._"

The ful medames were lighter than how she made it back in Cairo but it was better than hers. She ate it earnestly and finished in record time.

"_You eat as though you've been starved,_" the woman remarked as she finished her own breakfast.

"_It's been a long time since I've had food this delicious,_" Anna replied truthfully. Her cooking had gotten better over the year but it was nowhere near this woman's level. "_Thank you for the meal, uh..._" She trailed off, embarrassed. She should have asked her her name.

"_Jaliyah,_" the woman said. "_Now come and get dressed._" Anna stood up and followed Jaliyah over to a chest which she opened and pulled out a dress. "_I will wash the clothes you are wearing for you._"

"_Thank you,_" Anna replied and accepted the clothes Jaliyah gave her.

Jaliyah showed her a small basin behind some hanging tapestries which she could use to wash herself with. She told her to use all the water in the basin and no more. And while Anna had become used to taking baths, it was hard to wash herself using the basin. She washed her face and what she could of her body. There were some oils nearby and she used that for her hair.

"_Your hair is too long,_" Jaliyah commented as she came around the tapestries. Anna let out a small squeak and covered her chest. But Jaliyah merely rolled her eyes. "_Do not shy away. I have attended to many women here. I have helped them birth their children. Your nakedness means nothing to me._"

She helped Anna dry off and dried her hair and braided it. The dress was sort of like the one she received last year on the way to Hamunaptra. But the sleeves were not sheer and it was rather plain but it had some extensive embroidery along the bodice in silver thread. And instead of a hijab she gave Anna an Egyptian style niqab. It was a long hood she wore over her head with a veil that Jaliyah tied around Anna's face, covering her front from the nose down.

Jaliyah led Anna back to the chair and told her to sit again while she fumbled around in another chest next to the one where she took the clothes. "_Hold still_," she commanded.

Anna felt a swell of happiness as Jailyah began to rim her eyes with kohl. She bought some makeup in the souk but she could never find anything to her liking. Glitter was not in style yet.

Jaliyah stood up after a couple of minutes. "_There_," she announced. "_You're ready._" She turned around her put her own niqab on.

Ready for what? Anna wondered. Jaliyah was acting as if she was getting ready for something important. But before Anna could ask, Jaliyah was ushering her to stand up and follow her. They exited the tent and Anna had to hold up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun.

"_Put your arm down_," Jaliyah scolded. "_Hold your head high, chin up. Square your shoulders, breath through your nose and keep your mouth closed_!"

Anna's head swam as she tried to do what Jaliyah said. But she couldn't help but looking around everywhere as they walked through the camp. She always imagined the Medjai were just elite soldiers but the camp was bustling with men, women, and children. And every single one of them stopped what they were doing to watch Anna walk past. Most of them regarded her curiously and Anna could see why. Even though her skin tanned from living in Egypt so long, she was still considerably paler than everyone else.

But some women, the younger ones by what Anna could tell, were looking at her suspiciously as they whispered to one another. One even pointed at her.

"_They don't like me_," Anna remarked.

"_The Medjai have always been closed off to outsiders_," Jaliyah responded as she gave the woman who pointed a deep glare. The unknown woman scuttled off to a tent. "_They're curious why Ardeth would bring you here_." She snorted.

They stopped in front of a tent larger than the others. Jaliyah nodded at Anna. "_Go on. I will wait out here_."

Anna opened the flap and walked in, letting the flap fall back into place as she did. There were two men sitting in chairs in the center of the room. One she didn't recognize but the other was Ardeth.

Ardeth looked up from where he sat. "Anna!" He exclaimed and stood up to greet her. He caught sight of her and she saw his eyes dart up and down, taking in her appearance. He opened his mouth and closed it. "Did you sleep well?" He asked quietly.

"I did," She said.

Before Ardeth could speak, the other man cleared his throat. Ardeth turned back to him and bowed. "_Uncle, this is Anna_."

"I see her," the man replied in English. He gestured for Anna to sit. She did while Ardeth sat back down.

Now that Anna got a close look at the other man, he looked like a much older version of Ardeth. His face was wrinkled in a hardened way, he had the same tattoos on his cheeks and forehead, his dark hair was black streaked with white, and he had a long, white beard.

He stared at Anna with scrutiny as if he could see through her entire being. "I am the Chieftain of this tribe, Ahmad. My nephew tells me you were among the group who stopped the Creature."

She nodded her head. "I am," she said in the strongest voice she could muster.

"And you were also responsible for resurrecting him." He said it like an accusation.

"I was part of the group who went looking for the Golden Book of Amun-Ra," she said. "But the Americans found the Black Book of the Dead. And… someone did read from it." She wasn't going to sell out Evy and tell him she was the one who did it.

His expression did not change. "And now my nephew says that someone is after you for reasons unknown. Is that correct?"

"Yes. A man named David Hunter was waiting for me in my apartment two nights ago. And then he ambushed me yesterday in the Museum of Antiquities."

"It seems that when Terence died, all sorts of scoundrels invaded the museum," Ahmad scowled. "We should have secured a position for one of our people."

"Uncle, someone else got in there first. When one of the other tribes tried to enter they were told the position had been filled and they weren't hiring," Ardeth explained.

"So it would seem," Ahmad said coldly. "Tell me girl, why do you believe this man is after you?"

Anna bristled when he didn't call her by her name but forced to herself to look past it. "Nothing that I know about," she replied.

Ardeth cleared his throat. "If I may Uncle, Terence seemed to believe Anna is the reincarnation of Iset after the Creature reacted to her."

"That's right," Anna said suddenly as she remembered. "He called me Iset on a couple occasions."

"I see," Ahmad said. He stroked his beard. "Some of the Chieftains were reincarnations of the Medjai guards of old. But I find it hard to believe a foreigner is Iset's reincarnation."

"Uncle," Ardeth protested and Ahmad barked something at him in a language Anna didn't understand.

"Have you had any dreams?" Ahmad asked Anna, turning his attention back to her. "Dreams that were not your own but rather like memories of someone else?"

"Yes," Anna said quietly. "They're more like visions though. They come and go really fast. I saw her talking with Imhotep a couple times and she was trying to convince him to leave Anck-su-namun. They were all really just..." she trailed off.

"What?" Ardeth asked. "What is it?"

"The first time I… arrived in Cairo," she said slowly. "My first vision wasn't of Iset. It was of a woman I've never seen before. She wore a white dress and a headdress that looked like a throne of some type and she said..." She scrunched her nose, trying to remember. "To walk towards the light and embrace my destiny."

Ardeth and Ahmad stared at her and she jiggled her foot nervously.

"Most interesting," Ahmad said slowly. "Judging by your description, it was Iset. Who is commonly known by her other name, Isis," he explained when he saw Anna's confused face. "A Goddess of the old religion. But there haven't been any written or known sightings of her since ancient times."

Ahmad took a deep breath. "We have received word from the other tribes about a cult operating around Cairo. From the reports, it looks like they are delving into powerful figures from ancient times. If she is who she says she is, being a descendent of Iset, that may be why she's a target."

"What do we do, Uncle?"

"I will think on this." He waved at Anna. "You are dismissed. I need to have a few words with my nephew."

Anna gritted her teeth but said nothing. It wouldn't do anything for her to insult arguably the most powerful person in the camp. She stood up and turned on her heel and left.

Outside, Jaliyah was waiting for her. She beckoned Anna over with a finger. "_Stay quiet and follow me,_" she said and slipped between two tents, Anna following cautiously.

Jaliyah crouched down a the edge of the tent still containing Ardeth and Ahmad. "_Come here and listen,_" she whispered.

Anna joined Jaliyah and put her ear by a small opening the woman made.

Inside, Ahmad and Ardeth were conversing in Arabic.

"_She cannot stay here,_" she recognized Ahmad.

"_Uncle, I will not take her back to Cairo while people are looking to harm her_."

"_She is an outsider. An outsider will always endanger our people. Do I have to remind you what happened when Aamir allowed the English to approach his tribe?_"

"_You do not, Uncle_."

"_Good. Now Rusul sent me a message four days ago. There is a dig going on in Thebes. It seems the Enlgish still wants to steal whatever treasures the city has left. But I'm worried about where in Thebes they're digging. They've gone away from the normal areas that have been excavated. There may be something of important there. I want you to go and scout this dig site._"

"_I will go._"

"_And one more thing. Take the girl with you._"

Jaliyah tapped Anna on the shoulder. "_We should go,_" she said. She led Anna away and they walked down the path to Jaliyah's tent.

Anna still received looks from people but she didn't pay them attention. She was leaving soon anyway. But she felt a small hand touch her dress and she looked down to see a small child running away from her shouting, "_I touched the European_!"

"_Get away, you troublemaker_!" Jaliyah screamed and made to run after the boy. "_Or I'll take the switch to you_!"

But Jaliyah didn't chase after the boy since he ran squealing into a tent. She shook her head and clucked her tongue, muttering dangerous words under her breath.

She opened the tent flap for Anna who entered, taking her niqab off as she did. "_Thank you_," Anna said.

Jaliyah merely smiled but said nothing. Instead, she began to tend to her fire.

It seemed Jaliyah was some sort of healer for the camp because several women stopped by the tent and took herbs from her. Most of the women didn't spare Anna a glance and exchanged pleasantries with Jaliyah.

But as Jaliyah was cooking lunch over the stove, the flap opened again and a woman about Anna's age came in. She was extremely pretty with dark brown eyes rimmed in black. Her veil was adorned with small coins and beads.

"_What do you want_?" Jaliyah barked at her, obviously cross with the woman's appearance.

"_Healer, my mother sent me to get medicine for Halim. He has a cough,_" the girl said.

"_And she didn't come herself_?" Jaliyah snapped. She marched over to a chest and pulled a bundle out and practically threw it at the girl who barely caught it. "_I know you Naima. You only wanted to get a look at the American. Now you've seen her and now get out_."

Namia looked stricken but she bowed her head and slunk out the tent.

"_Foolish girl_," Jaliyah muttered.

"_Who was that_?" Anna asked.

"_Naima. Silly girl. Old enough to have a family but begged her father to hold off negotiating a marriage. Her father was weak enough to give in. Now she's trying to convince a certain person to go to her father with a marriage proposal_." Jaliyah snorted. "_Stupid girl. No man wants a haughty wife_."

Anna's cheeks colored. "_Where I come from, the woman gets to choose who she marries. Her father has no say in her marriage_."

"_Then your homeland is worse off than I heard._"

Anna drew back, surprised. But she decided not to argue the issue. "_Why did she want to see me_?"

Jaliyah stared at Anna. "_You do not realize_?"

"_No_," Anna said blankly.

"_Foolish girl_."

-x-

**And that wraps off chapter fourteen! Anna's met the Medjai and some of them are not happy to have her there. But they won't have to worry longer since she and Ardeth are on their way to Thebes. What awaits them there?**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter fifteen!**


	15. Thebes

Jaliyah kept Anna in her tent for the rest of the day. She set Anna to work of bundling herbs and such together while she did some washing. And at the end of the day, Anna collapsed into her cot and fell asleep.

She awoke to Jaliyah shaking her awake and telling her to dress. Her clothes were washed and folded and she disappeared behind a tapestry to change. She emerged as she wrapped her hijab around her head. Jaliyah caught sight of her and clucked her tongue. She walked over to Anna and straightened the hijab and tucked her hair away.

"_The things you people wear_," Jaliyah said. "_But at least you embrace our customs_."

Anna opted not to reply to Jaliyah. She didn't mind wearing the hijab but she also liked doing things with her hair and showing it off. But oh well, when in Rome…

Jaliyah gave her another bowl of ful medames and as she dug in, she heard someone call her name from outside the tent. "_You will wait until she's ready_!" Jaliyah shouted towards the tent entrance.

"_Of course_," the person Anna now recognized as Ardeth said.

"_He's not allowed to come in_?" Anna asked.

"_Absolutely not_," Jaliyah replied. "_This tent is a place for women. If men need my aid, I go to them. And you are an unmarried woman. I will not allow a man to come near you while you are in my care_." 

"_Oh_." That quieted Anna. She finished her breakfast in silence and gave her empty bowl to Jaliyah. "_Thank you for everything_," she said and bowed to Jaliyah.

Jaliyah merely waved a hand. "_Nonsense, girl. Good luck on your journey and may Allah watch over you_."

Anna exited the tent, squinting against the morning light. She found Ardeth standing a little ways away from the tent, his hands behind his back. "Good morning," she said to him.

He smiled at her and gestured for her to follow him. "Good morning to you as well. Was Jaliyah hospitable?"

"She was… she surprised me a little bit. She has little tolerance for bullshit."

He gave her confused look and she clarified for him. "She has no tolerance for nonsense. A woman came into the tent yesterday, someone named Naima, and Jaliyah practically kicked her out of the tent."

A pained look crossed his face. "Yes, many people were asking about you. Some even wanted to talk with you. I asked Jaliyah to keep you out of sight to prevent arguments from happening and to please my uncle and the Elders."

"You sure we should be talking about this in the open?" Anna asked. Many people were still staring at Anna as she and Ardeth walked.

Ardeth shook his head. "Many of my people still do not understand English. We won't be overheard. But I suppose I should tell you where we're going."

Right. Ardeth didn't know that Jaliyah allowed Anna to eavesdrop on his conversation with Ahmad. "Where are we going?" She asked him.

"My uncle wishes us to go to Thebes," he explained. "There's a dig down there that worries him."

"Why?"

"He believes they are getting too close to something they should not. They aren't digging in the usual place. They're off course."

That surprised her. "So there are more secrets buried in different places?" Anna asked. "Hamunaptra wasn't the only one?"

He nodded. "While the City of the Dead was our main focus of protection, we also protected Pharaoh's other secrets. Nefertiti's resting place, for example."

Anna's mouth dropped open. "You know where Nefertiti is? No one's ever found her or her family!"

Ardeth gave her a strange look. "Of course not," he said. "Nefertiti is one of the closely guarded secrets of the Medjai."

She chucked nervously. "Of course. There just has been a lot of speculation about her. She and her husband did introduce monotheism to their people, after all." She wondered if Nefertiti's Bust had been found yet. She always wanted to see it.

They entered a makeshift stable at the far end of the camp where horses milled about and young men mucked manure. Some called out to Ardeth and he replied in kind as he led Anna to the horse he had ridden yesterday. "Wait here," he said.

He disappeared towards the back of the stable and Anna nervously patted the horse's neck. "Good horsie," she cooed to it. It merely snickered and tossed its head.

Thankfully, Ardeth came back shortly leading a beautiful brown horse. "This is Amunet. She's a mild mannered mare and will follow my horse as we ride for Thebes."

"Hi Amunet," Anna said as she stroked the mare's neck. Amunet merely snorted in reply.

Ardeth showed her how to saddle Amunet and add their supplies for the journey to the saddlebags. "How long of a ride is it to Thebes?" She asked as she did what Ardeth showed her.

"A four day journey by horse," he replied. "We will pass through a Medjai way camp along our way to renew our supplies." He checked the straps on both horses and nodded in satisfaction.

"And you know the way?"

He nodded again. "I do. I have made the journey many times, Anna. Do not worry, I will get us there."

She smiled. "I'm not worried." She put her foot in the stirrup and did her best to swing herself up into the saddle but she couldn't quite reach. Ardeth came around and gave her leg a boost and she soon sat upright in the saddle. "A little bit different than a camel," she said. "You sure we couldn't have taken a camel?"

"I'm sure," he laughed.

He got onto his own horse and clicked his tongue and his horse began to walk, Anna's following shortly after. She tried to keep her balance steady as the horse lumbered on and did her best not to disturb the mare by unnecessarily digging her heels into Amunet's sides.

"So what is going on with this dig?" Anna asked as the camp became smaller and smaller behind them.

"There is a chamber close to where the men are digging," Ardeth responded. "It was used by holy men in ancient times."

"And only these holy men may enter?" Anna asked.

He nodded. "That is right. Even members of the royal family were not allowed unless invited."

"So these diggers are going to stomp on thousands of years of tradition if they find it," Anna mused aloud.

"They have been doing that since they came here," Ardeth said sharply. "They steal artifacts that belong to Egypt without a care and sell them to the highest bidder."

Anna drew back, startled by how incensed Ardeth was. "Yeah," she agreed. "They are stealing priceless artifacts, acting as if they own them. And they're not going to stop," she added sadly. Archeologists were never going to stop searching for Egypt's tombs and history. And whenever they found something, it would be whisked off to museums in Europe to be shown off.

She felt rather sorry for the country and the state it would become by the turn of the century… Sometimes she hated knowing what was to come. Her hands trembled and she gripped the reins tighter. But could she even stop such big moments in history? Could she travel to Germany and tell the people there not to put in Hitler in power? No one would believe he would carry out the worst genocide the world will ever see.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the world.

"It's not your fault," Ardeth said.

_Then why does it all feel like it is?_ She wanted to ask desperately. She didn't know how she ended up here, with all her knowledge of things to come. Was it her duty to stop these things? _Could she?_

"Anna?" Ardeth asked, alarmed. His horse slowed down so he could ride beside her. "Are you feeling ill?"

She felt his hand press against her forehead and tried to speak but found her mouth parched.

"Here." Ardeth handed her a waterskin. "Drink."

She drank and she felt a little better when the cool water went down her throat. "Sorry," she repeated.

"The desert is treacherous to those who're are not accustomed to it," Ardeth stated.

"Right," she said and handed back the skin. "I'll remember."

"Of course," he said amicably.

As they rode on, a sudden thought occurred to her. "I met one of David's associates in the museum," she said suddenly. "His name was Benjamin King but I'm not sure if they're working together." Benjamin had been most displeased when he discovered David harassing Anna.

Ardeth look concerned over the news. "It may be a coincidence or it may not. Regardless, stay out of sight in Thebes and keep your head down."

-x-

The journey stretched on. And just like when she went to Hamunaptra, she found sleeping on top of a moving animal an extremely hard task to accomplish. There were times when Ardeth made them come to a stop while the sun set to allow the horses some rest and water. So whenever that happened, she would take the time to have a small nap while Ardeth saw to the horses.

"You are not used to traveling by animal?" Ardeth asked after Anna yawned for the umpteenth time.

She shook her head. "No. I had this problem the last time too. Also I'm kinda scared I'm going to fall out of the saddle. It's not like one on a camel."

"I won't let you fall," he promised. And true to his word, he allowed his horse to walk along next to her at night and kept her upright when she almost seemed to fall. Thanks to him, she got a couple hours of sleep.

But she was extremely happy to see the way camp two days into their trip.

A black-clad Medjai came out to greet Ardeth in Arabic and eyed Anna critically but said nothing to her. "_Make sure they have plenty of water and food to eat_," Ardeth commanded as he dismounted. "_And make sure they've cooled down_."

"_Of course_," the Medjai said.

Anna swung her leg over the side of Amunet and clumsily dismounted. She winced when her feet hit the ground. Her thighs ached and she felt some saddle sores forming. _Yeah, definitely miss the camels_, she thought as she stretched out.

The other Medjai led the horses away and Anna followed Ardeth into a tent. "You can rest here," Ardeth said. "I have to speak with the other Medjai."

"Sure," Anna said as Ardeth left the tent. She sank down onto one of the chairs and worked out the stiffness in her thighs. Once she felt like her thighs no longer hated her, she groaned as she stretched and ended up slumping down onto a coat for a nap…

_A woman strode down a long, golden hallway, her red robes flowing behind her. She came out of the hallway and walked onto a balcony overlooking the view of the ancient Egyptian city—Thebes? She stood there, watching the world below her._

_Anna found herself able to move, like an invisible ghost. Confirming Anna's suspicions as she walked around, the woman was indeed Iset. What a coincidence that Anna was dreaming of Iset yet again when ancient Egyptian sucked her into such strife._

"_It's beautiful, isn't it?" Someone asked. Iset didn't turn but Anna did and a man she didn't recognize approached Iset. But Anna noted he had the same type of beard the statues of Pharaohs had._

"_It is," Iset agreed calmly as the man came to stand next to her. "Your kingdom is always beautiful."_

_The man smiled. "Iset, you always flatter me."_

"_It's not flattery if it's the truth, Pharaoh."_

_Anna's stomach dropped. This was the Pharoah Imhotep murdered? And he and Iset spoke like they were casual friends? What kind of woman was Iset?_

_Seti laughed. "You never cease to amaze me with your bluntness, Iset." His eyes glanced over his kingdom again. "It has been awhile since you and I were able to talk in private."_

"_With good reason, Pharaoh," Iset replied. "There are eyes and ears everywhere."_

"_You think someone in my court is untrustworthy?" Seti asked sharply._

_Anna watched Iset's face closely. Though it resembled a stone mask, Anna could see the caution in Iset's eyes. "No," she said softly. "But I would caution your love for Anck-su-namun."_

_A scowl set itself on Seti's face. "Careful what you say, Iset," he warned her. "You may be my High Priestess but Anck-su-namun is my mistress."_

"_I would never question your feelings," Iset responded. But Anna saw her briefly close her eyes. Did Iset know about Imhotep and Anck-su-namun by now? "I would advise you to use restraint when it comes to her."_

"_And what would you suggest?" He asked coolly._

"_The bracelet. I believe Anck-su-namun would be a better protector for it."_

"_Nefertiri is the bracelet's protector."_

_Finally, Iset turned to face Seti. "Then have them duel for the honor. The winner shall protect you and the loser shall protect the bracelet."_

"_Anck-su-namun is skilled," Seti mused._

"_Do not underestimate Nefertiri," Iset replied. "I believe she will become your protector."_

_Seti fell silent for a moment. "Very well," he said at last. "I shall inform Nefertiri and Anck-su-namun of this battle. It shall happen by the third of Peret."_

_Iset bowed lowly to Seti. "Thank you, Pharaoh. For listening to me."_

"_You have never led me astray."_

"Anna!" Someone had her by the shoulder was shaking her.

Anna gasped and jerked awake. Ardeth stood over her, one hand on her shoulder and the other holding a platter of food. "I've brought something to eat," he said.

She sat up and stretched. "Thanks," she said and accepted the platter full of dried food. It was tough to chew but it was food she had been eating for the past two days and she devoured them.

"Are we leaving soon or in the morning?" She asked Ardeth.

He lowered his food. "We'll leave in the early morning before the sun rises," he said.

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

They ate in silence and when Anna had a sufficient amount of food and water in her stomach, she laid back down and had a dream-free sleep.

-x-

But it felt like Anna had just fell asleep when Ardeth shook her awake again. She yawned and accepted the meager breakfast he gave her. She washed her face and wrapped her hijab around her head and followed Ardeth back outside where their horses waited for them.

"Do you need help getting up?" He asked her.

More than aware of the other Medjai's eyes on her, she shook her head. She put her left foot in the stirrup and jumped up and swung her leg over. For a split second, her leg caught on the saddle but she managed to wiggle her way up and before long, she sat in the saddle and returned Ardeth's smile with a beam of her own.

He got on his own horse and gave it a light kick with his heels and his horse trotted forward, Amunet following.

"Do they ever get a chance to go back to the Medjai camp?" Anna asked Ardeth as the camp faded in the distance.

"A group will come to take their place in a month," Ardeth replied. "They will head home before long."

"Good," Anna said. "I can't imagine living on dried food for the rest of my life."

He smiled. "They do their own hunting so they have fresher foods. But we are on a journey and didn't have time to sit for a meal with them. Don't worry Anna. They'll be alright."

"Okay," Anna said. "It's amazing we didn't stumble on a camp when we went to Hamunaptra."

"You came from the east," Ardeth replied. "Our camps are set away from Hamunaptra with exception of the patrols."

"Oh." Then she remembered. "We saw you guys," she blurted. "On our way, we saw a group of you watching us from a cliff."

Ardeth nodded. "I recognized O'Connell from when he survived his first encounter with Hamunaptra. I had hoped the desert would kill him. But obviously he survived."

"He did," Anna said softly.

"Tell me," he said. "How did you come to join O'Connell and the others?"

"Uh, I was kind of like Evy's assistant and she brought me along for the trip. And let me say, none of us were expecting a mummy."

He chuckled lowly. "That was why we kept watch over the city. How did you come to know Miss Carnahan?" He asked.

"Technically it's Mrs. O'Connell now," Anna replied. "My grandmother knew Evy's parents and she thought I should go to England for school. But she never would have expected Evy would come to Egypt and take me with her."

The lie rolled easily off her tongue but she saw Ardeth's brow raise. "You told me you didn't have paperwork to leave Egypt," he said suspiciously. "How did you come to Egypt?"

Anna's mind whirled in a panic. She forgot she told Ardeth that she couldn't leave Egypt. "I lost my papers," she lied again.

A crazy thought struck her. What if she did tell Ardeth she came from the future and she got hit by a truck and landed here? Would he laugh at her? Or worse, because of his knowledge of magic, believe her? What if the Medjai could send her back?

She opened her mouth to tell him the truth but no sound came out. She just couldn't say the words and they fell into a mutual silence again.

-x-

"So tell me," Ardeth said on the third day. "Was the golden book the only thing you were searching for in Hamunaptra?"

Anna nodded though he couldn't see her; Amunet slightly lagged behind. "That's what Evy wanted to find. Jonathan wanted treasure. And I think the Americans wanted treasure too." Her heart clenched at the thought of the Americans—all dead thanks to Imhotep.

"I never had a chance to speak with them," Ardeth said solemnly. "I can only hope they found peace in the afterlife."

"Me too," Anna echoed. She squeezed her eyes shut when the unwanted image of Daniels screaming as Imhotep tore his skin off flashed before her. "Can we just not talk about them?" She asked.

He glanced back at her and she stared back pleadingly. He nodded. "Of course. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset," she said too quickly and it sounded unconvincing to her ears.

Instead, for the rest of the trip, Ardeth taught her what little Hebrew he knew and coached her on some pronunciation issues with her Arabic. And in return, Anna gave Ardeth some Spanish lessons and giggled as he attempted to roll his r's.

"It takes awhile," Anna said. "I only learned how to do it a few years ago."

"And this is a common occurrence in Spanish?" Ardeth asked quizzically.

"Yep. And with some other languages too, like Italian and Portuguese."

"I see," Ardeth said slowly.

But their conversation faded as they rode up a sand dune and came to halt on top. An ancient ruin lay before them. "Thebes," Ardeth said solemnly. "Once a seat of power for the Pharaoh of the Upper Kingdom. Now, the English ravage it for its wealth."

"I don't see the dig," Anna remarked.

"This way," Ardeth said and led her towards the east side of Thebes, close to the river. "According to our records, the chamber was close to the river."

They walked along the dunes and as they came close to the river, Anna could make out workers milling about the ruins. She squinted against the sun, peering down but she didn't see any sign of David. "I don't see David," she said. But she did catch a glimpse of a suit amidst the work clothes. "But I see Benjamin." She looked to Ardeth. "Maybe he's innocent and David was just using him?"

"Perhaps," Ardeth said in a tone that told Anna he wasn't completely convinced.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait and watch," Ardeth said simply. "I know the general location of the chamber. If they come to close or something goes wrong, I will send word for the other Medjai at a moment's notice."

_How?_ Anna wanted to ask but she kept her mouth shut. She wouldn't be surprised if they had a magical way of communication like crystal balls or something.

Ardeth took them down the dunes a little, giving them some cover in case anyone glanced up and saw two riders on horses. But while the sun beat down on their heads, Ardeth kept close watch on the proceedings below.

And it was Anna who noticed him first. Another rider was coming their way. "Ardeth," Anna said, drawing his attention away from the excavation.

"Get behind me," Ardeth ordered. But she didn't have to move as he nudged his horse in front of hers.

The rider came closer and came to a slow walk. And under the red turban, Anna recognized who it was. "Mr. Rashad!" She called eagerly.

Rashad looked at her in surprise. "Anna?" He exclaimed and came closer, minding the way Ardeth stood in front of Anna protectively.

"What are you doing here?" Rashad asked. "You disappeared from Cairo!"

She ducked her head. "I'm sorry about that," she said truthfully. "But something came up and I had to go. I'm sorry I didn't come to tell you." Well, she attempted to but David tried to kidnap her from the museum.

"I see," Rashad said. He glanced at Ardeth who was looking at the curator sternly. "Who is this?"

"Ardeth Bay," Ardeth said curtly. "What brings you up here?"

Rashad tried to smile but it quickly fell off his face when Ardeth's stern expression didn't budge. "The watch saw you. We thought you may be travelers in need of help. The desert is deadly for the ill-prepared."

"Oh no, we're doing just fine," Anna reassured him.

Rashad peered at her and smiled kindly. "But you must be tired! Your horses look like they could use a rest. Come, come. I can provide you with food, water, and some shelter."

Anna's eyes darted to Ardeth's and he looked back at her. It was obvious by the look on Ardeth's face that he didn't trust Rashad. But this was their chance to find out what was going on in the dig and properly gauge how close they were to this chamber. She silently pleaded for Ardeth to trust her and he nodded his consent.

"Sure," she said to Rashad. "We'll come down."

A broad smile grew on his face. "Excellent!" He said. "Please, follow me!"

They nudged their horses to follow after Rashad down a shallow slope. "I'm so glad I found you," Rashad was saying over his shoulder. "You've been missing for a week and a half. And the museum is in shambles. Where were you?"

Anna knew Ardeth would be less than pleased if she told Rashad she was with the Medjai so she kept her answer vague. "I just needed to get away," Anna told him. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you."

"It is quite alright as long as you are well," Rashad replied.

Workers milled all around them as Rashad led them deeper into the camp. Some gave watched them carefully as the rode past and others kept out of their way, heads down.

"Here," Rashad said as they came to a stop outside a large red tent. He dismounted and Anna and Ardeth followed suit.

Rashad barked some orders at a few workers and they came to take the horses away. Ardeth's hand twitched toward his sword but he said nothing. Instead, he came to stand next to Anna protectively. Rashad held the tent flap open and ushered the two inside.

Inside, Benjamin King sat at the end of a long table eating what looked like steak. "Miss Campbell," Benjamin greeted. He set his cutlery down with a _clink_. "How nice of you to finally join us."

The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Something was not right...

She heard the rustling of cloth and men filed into the tent. There was the unmistakable sounds of guns cocking as all of the men pointed guns at them. Anna's hand went for Ardeth and she clenched at his robes like a frightened child.

At the far end of the tent, David Hunter came out grinning at the pair wolfishly.

It was a trap.

-x-

**And that concludes chapter fifteen! I've actually had it done for a few days but some stuff got in the way. Namely Star Wars. Hoooh boy was it good.**

**So now Anna has landed into the hands of the people who want her. What will happen when she and Ardeth are at Benjamin King's mercy? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter sixteen!**


	16. Revelations

Anna felt sick as two men came forward with lengths of rope in her hand. Her face burned in humiliation as one yanked her hands behind her back and tied them together tightly. The man took her upper arm in a vice grip and led her over to the table. He pushed her down into a chair on Benjamin's left and she saw Ardeth sitting down in the chair across from her. The Medjai's eyes burned in hatred as he stared at Benjamin.

All the while, Benjamin continued to cut and eat his steak. "Quite delicious," he said at last. "It's so difficult to obtain such fine ingredients in the desert." He reached for his wine glass and took a sip. "Excellent."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw David move around until he came to stand behind her. She clenched her jaw when she felt his hands hover over her shoulders before resting themselves on them. Her eyes closed briefly as she tried to keep her composure as David started rubbing her shoulders in a mockery of a lover's touch.

"Do take care to be nice to our guest," Benjamin commented idly.

"Always," David said and Anna could hear the shit-eating grin in his voice. She glanced over at Ardeth and saw the Medjai glaring at David. If looks could kill...

"I apologize for the rough manhandling David gave you at the museum," Benjamin said. "David assured me he could do everything as quietly as possible."

Anna did not answer him but the hairs on the back of her neck rose when David's fingers wisped along the base of her neck. _Don't touch me,_ she wanted to shout but she held her tongue. Across from her, Ardeth had a murderous look on his face.

"Why are you after me?" Anna finally asked as Benjamin finished his steak.

Benjamin set his silverware down and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. "I'm sure by now you know of the High Priestess called Iset," he said and Anna cautiously nodded. Benjamin continued, "She was a powerful woman who remained in her position as High Priestess after Seti's death, during Ramesses II's reign. And her power and influence extended all the way to the Pharaoh's ear. She was the one who suggested he take Nefertari as his wife, the woman who would become his great love."

Benjamin took a long sip of his wine, draining his glass. "There are even rumors in history that Iset was the one who convinced Ramesses to let the Isrealites go in the Great Exodus."

He gave Ardeth a less than savory glance, as if the Medjai were an insect on his boot. "I'm sure the _Medjai_ know all about Iset, don't they?" He said "Medjai" as if it were a dirty word.

Ardeth returned Benjamin's glare just as viciously. "She is a notable person in our history," he said simply.

Benjamin smirked. "Quite. She was a remarkable woman." He turned back to Anna and his eyes roamed her body. "Beautiful too."

Anna looked to Benjamin. "And what does Iset have to do with me?" Anna asked carefully though she had a horrible, sinking feeling in her gut.

Benjamin smiled at her. "We've found ourselves with a rare opportunity here in Thebes. After decades of searching we finally found it. This chamber, this glorious chamber, will allow us to reach into the depths of Ancient Egypt."

"The Chamber is not yours to use," Ardeth interjected. "Only the Holy Men may enter the room."

"The Holy Men have been dead for thousands of years. Who's to stop me?" Benjamin asked. "You? One Medjai versus my men, all of whom have guns?" He lifted his steak knife and pointed it at Anna. "All I have to do is hold a knife to her throat and you'll do whatever I say."

Anna saw Ardeth clench his jaw. Benjamin was right, she realized. All Benjamin had to do was threaten her life and Ardeth had no choice but to obey. Ardeth wouldn't sacrifice her for the greater good. He was too noble for that. Benjamin had them completely trapped.

"So you have the chamber," Anna interjected. "What now?"

Benjamin's eyes slid to Anna's. "Unfortunately, there is a catch," Benjamin said heavily. "To work the chamber, we need the blood of the last person who used it. That would have been Iset."

That should be that. Benjamin couldn't use the chamber because Iset has been dead for thousands of years. But Anna felt a chill envelop her body and creep up her spine.

"How do you know it was her?" Anna asked weakly.

"Since the discovery of Tutankhamun, we managed to find vague references to the chamber and its sealing. The records spoke of a Priestess sealing it before her death. Do not fret, Anna, we were very thorough in studying these documents. Iset is the only recorded woman in history powerful enough to contain the chamber's powers," Benjamin explained.

He folded his hands. "Through intense research, that culminated in the deaths of three men, we caught our break. We found Iset's descendent." Benjamin leaned back in his chair and gave Anna an appraising look. "Not just her descendent but someone who closely resembled her. Her reincarnation." He smiled broadly. "You, Anna Campbell, are Iset's reincarnation."

Anna closed her eyes. She knew it. She knew Iset was tied into this—to her—somehow. Ardeth's suspicion was correct all along. If only it didn't take this capture to find out.

"But we found another obstacle in our path," Benjamin continued and Anna opened her eyes again to find Benjamin's gaze boring into hers. "Iset's reincarnation had not been born yet. We found you seventy years too early and I was not about to wait until I was an elderly man for you to come into this world."

Panic closed around Anna and her throat tightened. She didn't dare risk a glance at Ardeth. She didn't want to see—to know his reaction to this. Her greatest secret was about to be revealed and she couldn't bring herself to face Ardeth.

"It took us a year to prepare, an entire year," Benjamin continued softly. "To find you in the future."

"What are you saying?" Anna heard Ardeth asked, confusion in his voice. Confusion and disbelief.

Benjamin's smiled widened. "She hasn't told you?" He asked, looking to Ardeth. "Dear Anna, you never told the one person who knows about the magics of Egypt? The one man who might believe you?"

"No," Anna said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Benjamin laughed cruelly and David's hands on her shoulders stilled. "Anna Campbell," he said to Ardeth. "Was born in the year 1996, sixty-nine years from now. It took us a year of preparation and taking out an entire block of power to reach into the year 2015 and pluck her out."

As he finished speaking, Anna saw the rustling of tent cloth behind Benjamin. Camilla emerged from behind her brother, dressed in a beautiful white dress. A dress Anna instantly recognized. Her first day in Egypt, when she woke up on the floor of the Museum of Antiquities after getting hit by a truck, she had a dream. She dreamed of a woman in white who told her her time would come to stop a great calamity.

The woman from her dream was an exact match to Camilla who stood behind Benjamin smirking like a cat who got the cream.

Anna's breath hitched and she felt as if someone punched her in the gut. "It was you. You were the ones who put me here."

"That's what I've been saying, Anna," Benjamin said like she was an idiot.

Camille continued to smile slyly. "We would have come for you sooner," she said in an airy voice. "If you had not gone gallivanting off into the desert in search of Hamunaptra."

"Yes," Benjamin agreed. "I would have preferred to take you the moment you arrived before you had a chance to make bonds. But it seems fate had other plans. No matter." He flashed Ardeth a smile. "We only have one Medjai here and by the time the rest of them come, we will have obtained the power of a Pharaoh—perhaps even a God."

"Are you going to kill me?" Anna asked in a small voice. She still couldn't look at Ardeth. She didn't want to see the look on his face at this revelation.

Benjamin and Camilla laughed while David resumed his rubbing of Anna's shoulders. "I just need your blood, Anna," Benjamin explained. "And if you cooperate with us, I shall bestow upon you a gift." He smiled nicely. "I will send you home to your time."

Anna felt like the wind got knocked out of her. _Home_. To her time. Where her mother was. And Netflix, smart phones, internet, The Avengers, _Tom Hiddleston_. They were all there.

Home.

Just the mere thought of it brought tears to Anna's eyes. She cried many times when she thought about home and her mother. What she wouldn't give to eat her mother's tostadas again. Or feel the Californian sun on her face again. To wear makeup, pants, sandals, and shorts again. It was like a dream come true.

Or a nightmare about to end. One where she'd wake up safe in her own bed.

Anna stared at Benjamin, at a loss for words.

Benjamin lifted a hand. "Think it over, my dear. Take them away. And make sure they're comfortable."

David stepped away and another man pulled Anna up from her chair. Another man did the same to Ardeth and together, they were dragged away from Benjamin and Camille and into the cooling Egyptian evening.

-x-

**And that concludes chapter sixteen! A bit short but an important chapter because the truth has come out and those with suspicions about Benjamin were correct.**

**And now the option to go home back to her own time is on the table so what will Anna decide?**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter seventeen!**


	17. Rock Bottom

**Mild warning for some sexual assault ahead.**

-x-

The armed men brought Anna and Ardeth to a tent on the far edge of the camp. Inside, they sat them down on either sides of the room, securing them to poles with more rope before leaving.

Anna still refused to look at Ardeth, keeping her eyes on the sand. Her mind was reeling from what Benjamin told her. She was the reincarnation of Iset, a thousand year old priestess, and the key to using this mysterious and all-powerful chamber. And if she did as Benjamin asked, he would send her home.

_Home_.

The word still ached in Anna's chest. She dreamed of going home countless times but she never believed it possible. She thought—accepted—since Hamunaptra that she was never going home.

"Is it true?" Ardeth asked quietly from across the tent. "Was he telling the truth? You're from the future?"

Anna took in a deep, steadying breath. "It's true," she confirmed. "I was born in 1996 in San Francisco, California. On my way to work I… I was hit by a truck and woke up on the floor of the Museum of Antiquities."

There was a beat of silence.

"That explains how you got to the museum," Ardeth finally said. "Terence told me you showed up one day at random, passed out on the floor."

She looked up, surprised. Ardeth stared at her, not in shock or horror, but warmly as if he could comfort her from where he sat. "You're not surprised?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. Coming from the future does not matter to me. I was born a Medjai and I have been trained to understand all sorts of magic from the Pharaohs of old. A circumstance such as yours is nothing to be surprised about."

She smiled at that. "Thank you," she said, genuinely.Already she felt a little bit better.

"What is it like?"

"What is what like?" Anna asked.

"The future," Ardeth clarified. "What is it like?"

She had to tread carefully here. "Different," she said. "Much different than now."

"What happens?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather not say. There's nothing you or I could do with that information. I can't change anything. Please don't ask me about what's coming. It's better not to know."

To her surprise, she saw him nod. "Alright," he said.

Silence filled the tent and it was deafening. She kept toeing the sand, trying to think about anything else but the predicament she found herself in.

"I saw them die," she blurted.

Ardeth looked to her, startled. "I'm sorry?"

"The Americans," she explained. "I was with Henderson when he died. Rick left us behind to watch Evy. When Imhotep came in, I hid under the table as he killed Henderson. But I didn't look. I couldn't." She ducked her head, wondering why she was telling Ardeth about this now of all times. "But when Daniels and I were pulled from the car. And Imhotep took him… I couldn't look away. I tried to help him, I swear I did, but I couldn't do a thing."

She closed her eyes before opening them and looking back at Ardeth. The Medjai watched her solemnly. "I can't get the image of Imhotep ripping Daniels's skin off out of my head. Sometimes when I sleep, I can still hear him screaming. And then I wake up crying."

The tears spilled over and Anna tried blinking them away. She sniffled and did her best to wipe her face on her shoulder.

Across from her, Ardeth looked distressed as he watched her cry. "Anna," he began.

The tent flap opened. David sauntered in, grinning broadly at the sight of the two captives. "I'm glad you came back to see me, Anna," he teased as he neared her. "I was worried we got off on the wrong foot last time." He knelt in the sand next to her, too close for Anna's comfort.

"Trust me, it was the right foot because all you did was confirm my suspicions about you," Anna bit out as he walked his fingers up her thigh.

David smirked at her. "I'm sure that's not true," he said. His fingers reached the hem of her shirt and slowly, he began to pull her shirt up. Anna squirmed in discomfort, trying to get away from David.

"Do not touch her," she heard Ardeth hiss from his place.

David casually threw a glance over his shoulder. Ardeth glared at at David furiously as if he wanted nothing more than to fly across the room and strangle David. David, in turn, grinned lazily. "Does this make you angry?" David drawled and a couple fingers dipped below the waistband of Anna's pants. A whimper escaped Anna's lips.

"Or," David continued, still grinning, "are you jealous?" The fingers in her pants hovered just above the apex of her legs while the other hand crept up her stomach. "You want to touch her like this?" He turned back to Anna, his eyes roaming up and down her body. "I don't blame you," he mused. "She is a pretty little thing."

"Don't touch me," Anna snapped but her voice cracked when his fingers skimmed the bottom of her bra.

His grin transformed into a smirk. _Try to stop me,_ his face seemed to say and the fingers in her pants inched lower…

Anna let out a cry and her knee came up, slamming into David's stomach. "Get off me, you disgusting pig!" He let out an "oomph" and fell forward. She lifted her other knee and hit him square in the face and he grunted, rolling off her and into the sand.

She backed away from David as best she could, bringing her legs to her chest protectively. David got up slowly, a hand on his face and anger in his eyes. "You little _bitch_," he snarled. His hand lashed out, faster than Anna could see, and backhanded her across the face. Her face stung and she grunted. He got up and stood above her. "I'm obviously going to have to teach you how to behave." He undid his belt and pulled it out with a _snap_.

As he advanced on her, she struck out with her foot. She managed to hit his kneecap and his leg buckled. Anna went into overdrive and she begun to yank on the ropes binding her hands. The rope holding her to the pole came loose and she rolled away as David grabbed for her. Her foot came out one more time but he caught it and twisted hard. Anna yelped.

"Anna!" She heard Ardeth call, horrified. She could hear him struggling with his own bonds.

But Anna's other foot made contact with David's upper thigh as she tried to hit his groin. "Get off me!" She squealed as she tried to hit him again.

"Stay still," David grunted as he grabbed at her other leg. But the ropes around Anna's wrists went slack and then she was up. Her arms wrapped around David's shoulders and she used her momentum and body weight to drag him down. She cupped her palm and slapped it against David's ear as hard as she could. He yelled and cradled his head.

That was Anna's chance. She got up and leapt over David and scrambled behind Ardeth and started working the knots loose. "Come on, come on," she hissed as she pulled and pulled.

"He's getting up, Anna," Ardeth said hurriedly.

"Almost got it," she replied.

"I'm going to make you pay for that," she heard David snarl.

But the moment David finished speaking, Anna pulled the ropes around Ardeth's wrist free. In a split second, the Medjai was up and on David in a whirl of fists. "You think it's alright to touch a woman against her will?" She heard Ardeth thunder amidst the noises of flesh hitting flesh. "You _scum_."

As she watched, David held his own but the kicks and slap Anna gave him were obviously grieving him. And Ardeth's fist found its mark on David's nose and then his temple. David fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Is he…?" Anna asked as she stood up.

Ardeth stood above David, breathing heavily. "No," Ardeth said at last. "He's still alive. But we mustn't linger. Someone would have heard the scuffle."

"Or they thought he…" Anna couldn't bear to finish that sentence.

Ardeth face her. "Are you alright?" He asked. He took her by the shoulders and looked her up and down worriedly, not like how David looked at her moment's before.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Shaken but okay."

"Good," he said. "We must hurry. Someone will eventually come looking for him." He took her hand and led her out of the tent, glancing around cautiously. "Coast is clear," he muttered to her. "They didn't even post a guard."

"Or David sent them away," Anna countered.

"No matter. I shall thank Allah for the good fortune." Together, the two of them hurried from tent to tent, hiding in the shadows as armed men walked around the camp.

In the distance, Anna caught sight of Rashad directing workers. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. And to think she actually liked him and thought him a good replacement for Doctor Bey. But she'd deal with Rashad later; she needed to focus on the task at hand.

Ardeth tugged her towards the main tent and they came to a slow crawl around the back. She couldn't hear Benjamin or Camilla within and Anna worried at that. But she and Ardeth kept going.

Anna let out a squeak when Ardeth suddenly pulled her into the shadow of a tent. "Stay still," he whispered in her ear as his arms wrapped around her. Men armed with guns walked past, talking to themselves quietly. Anna fisted Ardeth's robes and pressed herself closer against him.

"Should be done and out of here in a few days," one said in a Boston accent.

"Good," the other replied in a Brooklyn accent. "Should be getting paid a pretty penny for this job, being out here six months. Can't wait to get back to my Gracie. Baby outta be born soon… Wonder if its a boy or a girl."

"Gotta be a boy," Boston said. "You said she was sicker than a dog in the first coupla' months. My Mam said boys make the women sicker. Girls never cause problems."

Brooklyn let out a bark of laughter. "Hope so. A little boy bouncing on Gracie's lap. I like the sound of that."

Their voices faded away as they turned the corner. "Anna," Ardeth said in her ear. "Come."

He took her hand again and then they were running. "What's the plan?" Anna asked as quietly as she could.

"Find the horses," Ardeth replied. "And run."

Anna nodded. "Right. Okay." They hunkered down by another tent and Anna could see a horse paddock not too far away. But there were a few guards standing around. "Can you see them?"

"Yes," Ardeth said and then cursed softly. "They took off their saddles. Can you ride bareback?"

"I can barely ride them when they're saddled," Anna whispered.

"We'll manage," he said. "Come, this way."

They darted to the far side of the paddock. Ardeth gently pushed Anna down. "Stay out of sight," he warned her. "I will get the horses."

"Be careful," Anna said as she pressed herself down in the sand as if she could disappear right into it.

She watched Ardeth climb the paddock fence and approach their horses. The horses recognized him, it seemed, because they both pranced up to him. Ardeth patted them on the neck and quietly led them to the side of the paddock. _Over here_, he mouthed at Anna.

Anna scrambled up and jogged over to Ardeth. She clambered over the fence. "Now what?" She asked and nervously eyed the guards who hadn't noticed them. Yet.

"I'm going to put you on Amunet and she will follow me on Montu. We're going to jump the paddock fence so hold onto her neck. They will notice us leaving as soon as we clear the fence, do you understand?"

"Yes," she breathed. Ardeth picked her up and helped her get on Amunet. Anna leaned forward and wound her arms around the horse's neck. She didn't squeeze as not to alarm Amunet but tried to keep her hold tight and steady as possible.

Ardeth got on Montu and dug his heels into the horse's side. Montu took off, Amunet following, and Anna could not contain her gasp of surprise as the horses cleared the fence with ease. Behind her, she could hear guards shouting but it was too late.

Amunet ran swiftly beside Montu and Anna could finally ask, "where are we going now?"

"We'll ride upriver by the Nile," Ardeth replied. "Put some distance between us and Thebes. Once we're clear, I will send for more Medjai. They must know what's happening."

"And what will you say about me?" Anna asked.

"Nothing yet," he said. "Except to my uncle. He will know what to do. He has better knowledge about these types of matters."

_What?_ Anna wanted to ask. He knew exactly what to do when someone wanted to use a girl in some sort of ritual? But she kept it to herself.

"We must hurry or else they could catch up." Ardeth urged his horse on and Anna did the same, pleased to find Amunet obeying her.

-x-

The news of the Anna and the Medjai's escape went through the camp like wildfire. In an instant, Benjamin had his men scouring everywhere for them. But when a guard reported seeing two horses with riders riding away from the paddock, he knew they escaped.

He roared at the guard, "Where's David?"

"We found him in the prisoner's tent, unconscious," the guard replied nervously.

Benjamin gritted his teeth. Of course. He couldn't trust David to keep his gods-damned hands to himself. "Wake him up and bring him to me, _immediately_," he snapped and the guard went scurrying out the tent.

"Benjamin?" Camilla appeared from her room, dressed in a thin, white nightgown. "What's wrong?"

"Anna and the Medjai escaped," Benjamin said through gritted teeth.

Her large eyes widened and she lifted a delicate hand to her mouth. "What?" She asked, horror in her voice. "How?"

"David let his guard down," Benjamin replied bitterly.

She lowered her hand. "Of course," she snapped. "He couldn't stop talking about her the moment he laid eyes on her. I should have known he would go to her. He wouldn't be able to resist her all tied up and helpless." Her eyes burned in anger. "Dammit Benjamin, why didn't you order him to stay away?"

The tent flap ripped open and David stormed in. His face was a mess, blood leaked from his noise and bruises were beginning to form around his left eye and cheek. "What?" He growled.

The King siblings glowered at him. "I heard you allowed Anna and the damned _Medjai_ escape."

David glared. "I had it under control," he defended sullenly.

"Obviously," Benjamin scoffed. "Then explain to me how she escaped."

David fell silent, his eyes not quite meeting Benjamin. "As I thought," Benjamin said coolly. "Your lust for Anna is clouding your judgment. Had you been thinking with your head and not your cock, she wouldn't have gotten away." He stalked towards David and fisted the man's shirt and pulled him in close. "Slip up again and I will make you a eunuch," Benjamin said venomously. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," David replied and Benjamin shoved him away. David stumbled over a chair and fell to the ground. He grunted in pain.

"It's only a matter of time before the rest of the Medjai are called in. They will destroy our chances of using the chamber and we'll never have this opportunity again," Camilla said from behind Benhamin coolly. "We need to get Anna back. _Fast_."

-x-

**And that concludes chapter seventeen! Anna and Ardeth may have gotten away but that doesn't mean this is over. They still need to stop Benjamin. Good thing Ardeth called in the cavalry.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter eighteen!**


	18. Night on the Nile

They rode for what seemed like hours until the moon rose high in the sky, bathing the two in moonlight. Though the moon lit their way, Anna could not tell where they were, only that they were several feet from the Nile. Eventually, Ardeth slowed his horse down to a walk.

"We should be safe here," he announced.

"You sure?" Anna asked nervously. She looked around, half expecting to see Benjamin's men riding down upon them.

"Yes," Ardeth said. "They aren't natives of the desert. They'll wait until the light of day to start their search."

She trusted Ardeth and nodded, though he could not see her. "Okay."

Ardeth dismounted and walked over to Amunet and helped Anna down. She stumbled as he set her down, her legs buckling underneath her. She gasped loudly and gripped Ardeth's robes for support. "Are you alright, Anna?" Ardeth asked above her.

She looked up and realized how close he was to her. His face hovered inches above hers and looked down at her in concern. His arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her. Her face went red and she wiggled out of his grip. "I'm fine," she squeaked. "Just dandy."

His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak but Anna turned from him. They stood at the base of an ancient ruin. It could have been a building of some sort but all that remained was the skeleton. "We're staying here for the night?" She asked.

"Yes," Ardeth said behind her. She heard a horse whinny and she turned around to see Ardeth climb back up on Montu.

"Where are you going?" She asked, alarmed.

"There is an old Medjai outpost not far from here. I need to alert the others about what's happening in the dig site. Don't worry," he said, looking down at her. "I will return. Just wait here."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded at last. Ardeth dug his heels into Montu's side and he was off, riding farther along the Nile, leaving Anna alone with Amunet.

Her horse, it seemed, was content to snort and toss her head but thankfully remained by Anna. "It's just us," she sighed and patted Amunet's neck. She retreated farther into the ruin, taking her hijab off, and plopped down at the foot of a fallen pillar. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the moonlight's reflection on the water.

-x-

After perhaps an hour of sitting in the dark by herself, she heard hoof beats coming closer. She perked up and relief coursed through her when she caught the familiar sight of Ardeth. He slowed Montu to a stop and dismounted promptly. Montu was fully saddled, she noted as Ardeth led the horse to the riverbank to drink. While the horse drank, he pulled off another saddle and bridle and a large sack off Montu.

"Is that for Amunet?" Anna called from her spot.

"Yes," Ardeth replied. He set the saddle on the ground and set about taking the saddle off Montu. She watched him take care of the horses before tying them off to one of the smaller pillars.

Eventually, he strode towards Anna. He opened the sack and pulled out a large piece of fabric which he unfolded. It was a blanket, she realized and scrambled up as he set the blanket down on the sand. "I figured you wouldn't want to sleep on sand," he said.

"Thank you," Anna said gratefully and plopped down on the blanket, Ardeth joining her shortly after.

He handed her a waterskin and some more dried meat. Anna gratefully drank the cool water and gnawed on the meat. "I considered taking a bath in the Nile while you were gone," Anna said as she chewed. "But I've heard about the crocodiles and decided I didn't want to risk it."

"It's not just the crocodiles you should worry about," Ardeth quipped, rather unhelpfully. "There are snakes and hippos as well."

Anna thought back to the videos she'd seen about hippos on Youtube and shuddered. "Well there goes my fantasy of taking moonlight baths in rivers," she joked.

Next to her, she heard Ardeth draw in a sharp intake of breath before chuckling.

"You know, we have dangerous animals in California too," she said. "We don't have cobras but we do have rattlesnakes. They're venomous snakes with these hollow bulbs on their tails and when they move them, they rattle." She giggled nervously. Once, when she was twelve, she almost stepped on one. If not for her mother grabbing her away at last moment, she might not be here right now.

"And then we have a bunch of predatory mammals," she continued. "Wolves, bears, and mountain lions. And scorpions which I'm sure you have here. And then there's my least favorite: tarantulas."

"We have tarantulas here as well," Ardeth said. "We eat them."

Anna shuddered. "Ooh, I don't know if I could eat one. They scare me." She found herself leaning into Ardeth's body warmth ever so slightly. "So what about the desert? I already know about sandstorms and spitting cobras. What other dangerous things are there?"

"Most obviously there is the sun," he said. "An unprepared traveler can perish within a few days. But there's also locusts. Swarms of them will eat the crops and cause famine. There's quicksand as well. They're difficult to get out of which is why we never travel alone. And sometimes we get rainstorms and floods will happen." 

Anna whistled lowly. "Whoa. More often than not, we get droughts in California. And when the weather gets so hot, the trees and plants will catch fire. If you don't contain them quick, they'll destroy towns and homes. When I was little, our house caught on fire because of a wildfire. We evacuated long before the fire reached our neighborhood so we were okay but then after we moved to San Francisco permanently."

She smiled to herself as she remembered San Francisco. "It's so pretty there," she said. "There are hills everywhere and we have a famous street that's so wavy and crooked. It's called Lombard Street. You'd never want to walk it though. It _sucks_." Ardeth laughed and she chuckled.

"But my favorite thing about San Francisco was the water," she continued. We had the Pacific Ocean on one side and the bay on the other so I'd go swimming every summer. Well, except when the shark population was high." She sighed dreamily. "I miss that." And she did, as she thought about it. She missed the water and getting ice cream on Sundays after a day of swimming.

He cleared his throat and she realized she had drifted off there. "Uh, What about you?" She asked. "What was it like growing up as a Medjai?"

"I've trained to be a Medjai since I was a boy," he started. "We are trained as warriors that serve the interests of Egypt. But some of us train to become a Chieftain of our respective tribe. My father was Chieftain before me so I trained in ways to govern a tribe, lead others in battle, and delve into the deepest histories of our ancestors."

"That's a lot of ground to cover," she said.

He nodded. "It was. Sometimes it was difficult but I persevered and worked hard to prove myself to my father. But when I fifteen, my father took a bad fall off his horse. The fall crushed his leg and he died of infection two days later." His voice shook slightly as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry," Anna whispered. Her hand twitched and she wanted to take his hand in hers but she regrained.

"It happened a long time ago," he replied. "My uncle took over as Chieftain until the day I will take my place as Chieftain."

"And when does that happen?"

"When I marry and prove I can continue my line," he said somberly.

"Oh," Anna said. Of course Ardeth was going to marry some woman from the Medjai tribe and start a family with her. She should have known that but she felt disheartened by the notion all the same. "I'll think you'll make a great Chieftain," she said instead.

He looked at her and their eyes met. _When had he gotten so close?_ Anna vaguely wondered. She was against his side, enveloped in his body warmth, and his arm had wound around her, coming to a rest on her side. And she felt a happy and warm tingle spread throughout her as she realized neither of them were pulling away.

"Ardeth," Anna began, looking back up at him.

"Yes?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I..." she trailed off because she didn't know what to say. Only that she wished this moment would never end.

She brought her head up as he brought his down and their lips met. The tingle exploded and spread fire throughout Anna's entire body as they kissed. His facial hair scratched her face but she found she liked the feeling. Her hands came up to fist themselves in his robes as she pulled him closer to her and in turn, his hands threaded through her hair.

Anna let out a moan as Ardeth hesitantly swiped at her mouth with his tongue. She replied by opening her mouth and allowing his tongue to slip in. For several long moments, Anna knew nothing but bliss as their kiss deepened and she forgot all about Benjamin and David and the dilemma before her. All there was was her and Ardeth.

And then suddenly, the moment ended. Ardeth broke away from her, ending the kiss, panting. "No," he rasped. "We can't."

She drew back, hurt. "We can't?" She asked. "Why not?"

"We shouldn't be doing this," he explained. "It's not right. You are not my wife. I shouldn't be—_we _shouldn't be together like _this_."

"No one in the future gives a damn about premarital sex," Anna protested. "People can sleep with whomever they want." He looked away from her and she took his hand. "We are consenting adults, Ardeth," she said.

He looked at her, his dark eyes boring into hers. "The future is ours," she continued. "It is ours to choose for ourselves. And I choose to be with you. Here, in this moment. I want you."

He stared at her for a long moment. Anna felt herself deflate in defeat. If this was what Ardeth wished then she would respect that. But as she pulled away, he took her face in his hands and kissed her fiercely.

Anna returned the kiss eagerly, all but clambering into his lap. When their lips parted from one another, he whispered, "you truly are a woman of another time."

She grinned. "I can show you a few tricks from my time, if you'll let me."

He laughed, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Perhaps it is time for you to teach me something," he agreed.

They rolled over in the sand, Anna on her back with Ardeth on top of her. He kissed her again and his hands went to the hem of her shirt. Excitement mounted in her as his hands skimmed her bare skin. A part of her couldn't believe this was happening but her body was working on instinct now. She threaded her hands through Ardeth's hair and moaned into his mouth as his hands traveled up.

"Please," she whined when she paused for air.

"Is this what you want?" He asked her. He leveled a serious stare at her. He was asking her one last time, she realized. One verbal 'yes' and then they would…

She sucked in a deep breath as she stared up at Ardeth. She trailed a finger down his cheek to his tattoo. "Yes," she said as firmly as she could. "_Yes_."

He smiled. "As you wish."

-x-

**And that wraps up chapter eighteen! And Anna's and Ardeth's relationship moved to the next level!**

**But of course, they still have the daunting task of stopping Benjamin ahead of them. And Anna still has a decision to make.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter nineteen!**


	19. Attack

Anna rolled over and her bare shoulder brushed against sand. She groaned and rolled back over and opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them. She sat up, stretching out her arms. As she cracked her joints, she looked around. Ardeth wasn't on the blanket but she grinned all the same as she remembered last night.

Though it did not go as Anna envisioned in her head. As it turned out, Ardeth did not have a concept of foreplay or knew that Anna could pleasure him too. And so, she decided to spend the night teaching him about their bodies and pleasure. She would never forget the look on Ardeth's face when she showed him how she could pleasure him with her mouth. They never got around to the actual sex but she felt complete and pleased enough as Ardeth explored her body that she had no complaints when he pulled her into his arms to sleep.

Next time, he had promised her. Next time he would put everything Anna taught him to use. She smiled at that and gave him a quick kiss.

She sat up and pulled her clothes back on as the Egyptian sun started to bake her skin. Once dressed, she found Ardeth hovering by a small fire. Her mouth watered when she spotted two fish cooking on sticks. "You caught breakfast," she commented.

He nodded. "We need our strength." He handed her the waterskin and she took a long drink. He pulled the fish out of the sand and handed one to Anna. She blew on it and took a tentative bite. The skin was crispy but the flesh tender though she had to take care not to eat any bones.

Once the fish were gone, she heard the fluttering of wings. She looked up to find a large bird flying towards them. It settled on the pommel of Montu's saddle and let out a chirp. "Osiris," Ardeth said and stood up.

"Who?" Anna asked.

"My uncle's falcon," he replied. "He uses him to send messages to the other Medjai." Ardeth knelt down as Osiris held out a leg. There was a small metal cylinder attached to the bird's leg and Ardeth unlatched it. A small piece of paper was inside and Ardeth read the words on the paper.

"We must go," he announced. "My uncle and his warriors are coming here. They are most concerned with the Kings' plan for the chamber."

"Okay." Anna stood and stretched once more before taking Amunet's saddle. Ardeth came over and helped saddle the horse before tending to his own. "Someday I'll get this," Anna mumbled to herself as she climbed atop Amunet. The horse snorted in reply and tossed her head. Anna patted her neck.

The moment Ardeth sat in his saddle he dug his heels into Montu and the horse took off. Anna followed suit and Amunet galloped after Montu. "How far of a ride is it?" Anna asked when she rode pace with Ardeth.

"Not long. We meet within riding distance of Thebes. My uncle's letter sounds as if he has plans to attack."

Anna felt a chill pass through her. She remembered the last and only time she saw Medjai fight. When they attacked their camp in Hamunaptra a year ago. The men were fierce and cut down all in their path. Anna would probably have been a victim too if not for Rick.

What was Rick doing now? She wondered. Had the baby been born yet? If so, she was sure a letter was waiting for Anna somewhere and the O'Connells would eagerly await her reply. She hoped she would get to read the next letter, to know the world was still going.

As the sun rose high in the sky, she and Ardeth finally slowed down in the shadow of a large dune where a large group black riders waited for them. "_Uncle_," Ardeth greeted in Arabic.

"_Nephew_," Ahmad replied in kind. "_You are unharmed_?"

"_We are fine_," Ardeth said. "_But there are more pressing matters_."

"_Of course_," Ahmad said. "_You tell me these Europeans have found the chamber in Thebes and are intending to use it_?"

Ardeth nodded. "_That is correct, Uncle_." The other Medjai murmured amongst themselves. Many of them shot Anna a suspicious look as if this was all her fault.

"_Then there is no time to waste_," Ahmad said. He turned to the rest of the Medjai. "_We must do our duty as Medjai and stop these outsiders from destroying Egypt's legacy_." The Medjai shouted in agreement.

"_What shall we do, Uncle_?" Ardeth asked as the shouting died.

"_I will take half the men to attack from the east, from the river. You will take the other half and flank them from the south_." Ahmad raised his voice to repeat the orders to the men who all shouted in agreement. "_We will make the English rue the day they decided to ravage our land_!" That resulted in more cheers and Anna's cheeks burned even though she was American.

Ardeth nudged his horse closer. "What about Anna?" He asked his uncle in English.

Ahmad barely spared Anna a glance. "There is an outcropping near Thebes. She can wait for you there."

Ardeth frowned. "Alone?"

"Yes," Ahmad replied. "Do not think to stay with her. I need you on the battlefield."

"I'll be okay, Ardeth," Anna butted in. "If you guys are taking all of Benjamin's attention, he'll have no one to spare to send searching for me."

Ardeth nodded though he did not look convinced. "Alright," he agreed. "I will comply to this plan."

"Good," Ahmad said curtly. He raised his voice to address the men once more. "_We ride for Thebes_!"

There shouts and whinnies as the Medjai kicked their horses into gear. Anna dug her heals into Amunet's side and followed Ardeth, taking off at breakneck speed. They rode hard for Thebes, heading back to Benjamin King and his sister.

Anna lagged behind, wondering if this plan would work. Benjamin seemed so confident that he would obtain whatever power lay hidden in that chamber. But if he didn't have her, then he couldn't make it work. Right? Still, she nervously chewed on her lip.

"Are you alright?" Ardeth had come up beside her.

Anna nodded. "Just a little nervous," she replied honestly. "I don't like the idea of being so close to Thebes."

"I will not let Benjamin King harm you," he told her. "As much as I dislike leaving you by yourself, you will be safe as long as we keep his attention on us."

"I know." But Anna let her other question go unasked. _What about Camilla's attentions__?_ Camilla wouldn't take part in the battle, Anna was sure, but what if the other King sibling knew how to activate the magic?

Her doubts halted as the Medjai slowed down. They stood on a cliff above Thebes and Anna could barely make out the men down below.

"_Yusuf, you and your men will follow me east,_" Ahmad barked. "_Hassan, you and yours will follow Ardeth._" Ahmad kicked his horse again and he and a chunk of the Medjai headed east, towards the river.

"What happens now?" Anna asked Ardeth.

"We wait until my uncle attacks and then I will take my men and flank, just as we planned," Ardeth replied. Around her, the Medjai murmured to one another as if restless.

"Will it work?"

"Of course it will. This has not been the first time we've fought someone."

They sat in silence, just watching the camp and the east where Ahmed and his men would come. Anna wondered if sitting out in the open was the best idea. Anyone could see them and raise the alarm but no one moved until…

"There he is," Ardeth said suddenly.

Anna followed his gaze and spotted the Medjai riding hard for the camp. They breached a fallen wall and she could hear distant shouts over the wind. And soon after, the first gunshots rang out.

"_Medjai, we ride_!" Ardeth called out.

"Good luck," Anna said quietly but she wasn't sure he heard her as the Medjai rallied behind Ardeth. All of them spurred their horses and they descended down the cliff, leaving Anna alone.

She watched Ardeth lead his men down the path and to Thebes were he disappeared within the ruined city. "I really hope this works," she muttered to Amunet who whinnied in response. She patted Amunet and dismounted, wanting to stretch her legs. Amunet tossed her head and Anna patted her neck in reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere," she told the horse.

"On the contrary," someone said behind Anna and she heard the unmistakable _click_ of a gun cocking. She whirled around to find Rashad sitting on a horse and pointing a gun at her. Where did he come from? She wondered. And how did he get behind her?

"Mr. Rashad?" Anna asked as she held her hands up in surrender.

"You angered a lot of us last night when you escaped," Rashad stated. "Mr. King was quite upset and I almost feared we would have to postpone. But he ordered many of us to comb the desert for you." His eyes flickered to the scene behind her. "I'm afraid your Medjai will be in for a surprise when the cavalry comes back."

Anna's heart sank at those words. She knew something would go wrong. But she didn't know how much.

"Now, bring your horse over here and tie the bridle to my saddle," Rashad ordered.

She took Amunet's bridle and led her over to Rashad. Amunet snorted and reared her head when she came up beside the other horse and Anna had to murmur some soothing words to calm the Amunet. "Hurry," Rashad said, nudging Anna's shoulder with his gun for emphasis.

"Tell me something," Anna said as she tied the Amunet's bridle to Rashad's saddle. "What do you get out of all of this? Why did you join up with Benjamin?"

"With the power Mr. King is about to unleash, I will know all the secrets of the Pharoahs. I will know where they hid their most famous leaders: Nefertiti and Akhenaten, Smenkhare, and even Iset herself." Rashad laughed, a maniacal gleam in his eye. "Once I present my findings to the _great_ Bembridge scholars and the world, I will be rich beyond measures! Even that wretched Howard Carter will bow to me! Now get on the horse!"

So Rashad was just as greedy and Benjamin and his sister. Why did Anna see it at the museum? Anna pursed her lips and glared but did as he told her. When she sat in the saddle, he unlocked the hammer and put the gun away. He pulled a length of rope out of his saddle bags and leaned over to take Anna's wrists. He wound the rope around her wrists and tied it tight enough to cause Anna to wince in pain.

Rashad urged his horse forward and it took off at a trot, Amunet being forced to follow. As they neared Thebes, Anna watched in despair as more of Benjamin's men came surging in from the west. "Those were the men who were sent to look for you," Rashad reported smugly. "I'm afraid the small band of Medjai won't last much longer."

The sounds of fighting grew louder and as they came into Thebes and Anna could see Medjai everywhere, some on horseback, some on the ground, fighting with Benjamin's men. But Anna felt relieved when she saw Benjamin's men getting pushed back. It seemed they underestimated the Medjai.

Rashad seemed to notice this as he brought the horses to a halt. He dismounted and pulled out his gun again. "Come," he commanded. "Mr. King awaits."

Anna clumsily slid off Amunet and Rashad grabbed her arm and started pulling her in the direction of the center of Thebes. The fighting continued all around them and from what Anna could tell, it was becoming even on both sides. She looked around for Ardeth but could not see him. _Please let him be alright._

"This way," Rashad grunted and yanked on Anna's arm. She stumbled but kept her balance as they approached a large building with several guards stationed out front. "Go help the others," Rashad commanded. "The time is almost at hand."

The men nodded and drew guns and headed to engage the Medjai. Out of the corner of Anna's eye, she spotted Ardeth fighting two men at once. _Look over here!_ She willed him to glance in her direction. But his attention was completely focused on his opponents and then Rashad was dragging Anna into the building.

She dug her heels into the sand and used her body weight to throw Rashad off balance. When she came free of his grasp, she tried to run in Ardeth's direction but she felt a hand grasp her ankle. She came crashing down to the sand and let out a loud scream, hoping to get Ardeth's attention.

"None of that," Rashad wheezed above her and she heard the gun _click_. "I won't hesitate to put a bullet in you if you try that again. Mr. King needs your blood after all. He said nothing about your _life_." He yanked her up and pushed her inside the building.

The antechamber was wide and Anna could see hieroglyphics all around her and an image of two people on either side of an orb was carved into the wall above a large door. The door led to a long hallway and emptied into a large, domed, chamber.

In the center of the room, Anna spotted Camilla, all in white, standing above a small, glowing, white orb. Benjamin and David stood off the side, watching Camilla until Rashad entered the room, dragging Anna behind him.

Benjamin smiled when his gaze landed on Anna and David smirked broadly. "Ahh, Anna," Benjamin exclaimed. "I'm pleased to see you again."

"Can't say I'm pleased to see you," Anna retorted.

Benjamin glanced at David briefly. "I must apologize for Mr. Hunter's behavior. Rest assured he has reprimanded accordingly." David, at least, had the decency to look shamed.

Camilla laughed daintily. "It is almost time, Brother," she said. "I can feel the magics beginning to stir."

"Good," Benjamin said triumphantly. "Bring her here, Rashad."

Rashad pulled Anna forward and thrust her towards Camilla. But David reached out and took her arm. "Hello again, Anna," he mocked.

Anna bared her teeth. "Don't touch me," she snarled. He laughed in response.

"Let us begin," Benjamin spoke loudly. "It is time to claim our prize." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a dagger.

The light from the orb glinted off the dagger and panic welled through Anna. She jerked out of David's grip and made to bolt but David grabbed her arm in a vice grip and a pulled her flush against him. "Please Anna," he hissed in her ear, "_keep struggling_."

"Enough," Benjamin commanded. "Bring her over her."

David pushed Anna forward and took a painful hold on her wrists and held them out for Benjamin. Anna tried to clench her fists but David peeled back her fingers and she yelped in pain. "Hush now," Benjamin soothed. "It will all be over shortly."

The tip of the dagger dug into her palm and Benjamin dragged it down, leaving a blood trail across her palm. Anna sucked in a breath through her teeth, trying to fight against the sting. Once Benjamin reached the bottom of her palm, he pressed the flat side of the blade against her skin and ran it up, collecting blood on the dagger.

"My sincere gratitude," Benjamin said as he pulled away. He walked over to Camilla, holding the dagger aloft. He held it over the orb and shook it slightly. Anna watched as a few droplets of her blood fall and land on the orb.

At once the light intensified, nearly blinding Anna and then she heard Camilla chanting in Ancient Egyptian. And next to her, Anna saw Benjamin cackling as the light began to grow bigger and bigger. "AT LAST," he howled. "THE POWER OF THE GODS IS MINE."

_CRACK_.

The door crashed open and back-clad figures streamed in. The Medjai were here! Anna spotted Ardeth amongst them as he surged forward. "Anna!" He bellowed.

"Ardeth!" Anna shouted back happily.

"STOP THEM!" Benjamin shouted. Rashad began shooting wildly into the crowd, hitting one of Benjamin's men who were in pursuit from behind.

"Damn Medjai," David cursed. He flung Anna to the ground and pulled out his gun.

Within seconds, Ardeth was in David's face. "You will not touch her again," he thundered, a murderous look on his face.

Ardeth swung his sword at David who deflected it with his gun. "Oh I will," he taunted Ardeth. "I'm going to do _more_ than just touch her."

_Like hell you will,_ Anna thought as she worked on loosening the ropes binding her wrists.

"You filth!" Ardeth exclaimed and Anna heard flesh hitting flesh.

At last, the rope came free and Anna looked up to see David punching Ardeth in the face repeatedly. Anna lunged forward and jumped on David's back. The added weight made him stagger but he ripped her off him. "I'll deal with you later," he scowled. She barely caught sight of his gun coming up before he struck her across the face with it.

Anna heard a _crack_ and felt an intense throb in her nose. She fell back to the ground and put her uninjured hand on her nose and when she brought it away, found it covered in blood. "Ow," she groaned.

"Anna!" Ardeth picked his sword back up but David swung his gun around to point it at Ardeth, causing the Medjai to duck.

Adrenaline pumping through her, she scrambled back up and grabbed David's gun arm and wrenched it upwards, forcing him to shoot at the ceiling. Rocks and debris rained downed on them and Anna grunted as one hit her shoulder. "You little—" David growled but then Ardeth was facing him.

"Now!" Anna howled as she struggled to maintain her bloody grip on David's arm. He brought his other hand around to strike her across the head and she screeched.

She saw Ardeth's sword come down and she closed her eyes. But she heard the sickening sound of David's gurgle and he went slack in her grip. She let go of him and opened her eyes to watch him fall to the ground.

"Is he?" Anna asked when David did not get up. A pool of blood slowly formed under him.

Ardeth nodded. "Yes." He reached for her but a loud whistling noise made them look over to the King siblings. Camilla still stood over the orb, now the light reached the ceiling. But Benjamin no longer stood beside her. Instead he slumped against a pillar, stemming a bloody wound in his side.

"_Ardeth_." A Medjai approached. "_We cannot get close to the woman. The magics are rebuking us_."

"_There must be some way_," Ardeth replied. "_If we do not stop her, she will bring the building down on top of us_."

"_We could shoot her_," the other Medjai suggested.

"_No_," Ardeth said curtly. "_We do not know what could happen if we shoot at it. It could ricochet and hit someone_."

Anna looked from Camilla to the orb and was startled when she saw a face staring back at her. Anna blinked and it disappeared. But then she began to hear singing. It was a woman. Was it the woman in the orb? _Do you hear that?_ She wanted to ask Ardeth but her voice seemed to have left her. Instead, she started walking towards the orb.

"Anna!" She heard Ardeth cry out but she ignored him.

The singing got louder as Anna approached but she couldn't make out the words. Her eyes were glued to the orb and she saw images flashing within. Her mouth went dry when she spied a lawn and then the front door of her house.

"_Anna_!" Anna blinked away tears when she recognized the speaker: her mother. And then Anna saw her. Her mother stood in the kitchen, washing dishes. She glanced up as if she sensed someone watching her and Anna's let out a cry.

She hadn't seen her mother in over a year and while she looked the same, she also looked different. There were more lines around her eyes and she seemed paler than Anna remembered. _That's weird,_ she thought. _We live in California and we both tan easily given our Mexican heritage._ Why was she so pale?

Her mother's mouth moved and Anna strained to hear. "_Anna_!" she heard again.

"Mom," Anna whispered and held out her hand as if she could touch her mother's face. "_Mom_," she repeated. She was _so_ close. On the other side, her mother's eyes filled with tears and her mouth said something.

"ANNA!"

Anna snapped out of her reverie, dropping her arm. She stood in front of the orb, as close to it as Camilla. The woman watched Anna with a sly smirk on her lips. Anna looked around for the speaker and when she spotted Ardeth she realized the truth. It had been Ardeth calling for her not her mother. Anna looked back to Camilla who continued to smirk.

_Was this what you wanted, Camilla?_ Anna thought. _What was your plan? Kill me and harness this power for yourself? Cheat your brother? Well too damn bad._ Anna knelt in front of the orb. She reached out as if to touch it again but her hand wrapped around a fallen piece of rock.

"What are you doing?" She heard Camilla cry out from above her but Anna ignored her. Anna lifted the rock high above her head and brought it down up the orb, smashing it into millions of little pieces.

The light sucked back into the orb before exploding outward, bathing Anna in light. Anna threw her arms up to cover her face. She heard screaming in languages she didn't understand and images of men and women rushed past her. And just like that, it was all gone. The orb lay at Anna's feet, completely shattered and with it, Anna's only chance to go home.

-x-

**And that concludes chapter nineteen! Fun fact, Howard Carter was the man who discovered Tutankhamun, most commonly known as King Tut, in 1922. The other names I mentioned, Nefertiti and her husband Akhenaten (most famous for introducing monotheism to their people) have not been found. Smenkhare was Pharaoh after Akhenaten but little is known about him. There are debates whether or not a mummy found in Tomb KV55 is Smenkhare or not.**

**And now Anna is truly stuck in the past with no way to go home. Perhaps she isn't complaining about that considering her relationship with Ardeth? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter twenty!**


	20. The Letter

_She walked down a long, golden hallway. Images were painted on either side depicting people, possibly the Pharaoh and their families but Anna had no time to stop and study them. She came out into a beautiful garden where a large pond sat in the middle. A woman sat at the edge of the pond, her head down._

"_Iset." Anna let out a gasp as Iset's head snapped up. It always shocked Anna how much she and Iset looked like each other._

_Iset stood and bowed. "Pharaoh," she greeted._

_The Pharaoh entered the garden. "Such a beautiful place," he mused. "I have heard you come here often?"_

_Iset nodded. "Yes, Pharaoh. To think and clear my mind."_

"_Always a wise practice," he replied as he walked closer to the Priestess. "You take your vows tomorrow."_

"_Yes. Then I will become your High Priestess and shall serve you and Egypt for the rest of my life."_

_The Pharaoh stared at Iset for a long time. "And are you happy with that decision?"_

"_Of course," Iset replied at once. "I am nothing if it wasn't for your kindness. You allowed me shelter in the temple. This is the least I can do to thank you. I will gladly give up any future I may have if only to serve you."_

_He smiled and closed his eyes briefly. "I hope you do not come to regret those words," he said._

"_I will not," Iset said, almost eagerly. "I will take my vows tomorrow and will forever be in your service."_

"_I know you will," he said gently. "I will not doubt your loyalty. I shall see you at the temple tomorrow, Iset. You will have much work to do when your vows are complete. And I will introduce you to my High Priest, Imhotep. You will be working closely with him."_

"_Of course," Iset said. She bowed again as the Pharaoh left, leaving her alone in the garden once again._

_But her eyes turned towards where Anna stood and their eyes met. Anna gasped aloud as Iset regarded her._

-x-

Anna opened her eyes to a familiar canopy ceiling. Her head throbbed in pain and she let out a moan. She glanced around and found she was in Jaliyah's tent again. _How did I get here?_ She thought groggily. The last thing she remembered…

She gasped and sat up. The orb! She smashed it back in Thebes and stopped Camilla from completing her plan. But at a cost. For a few seconds, just a few seconds, she knew the orb would send her home back to her time. But the look on Camilla's face… It was like Anna was playing right into her hand. And Anna couldn't let Camilla do what she planned even if it meant Anna'd never go home. And so, she made her choice and broke the orb.

The tent flap opened and Jaliyah entered, carrying a bowl. "_You're awake_," she said in Arabic.

"_Yes,_" Anna replied and rubbed her tired eyes. "_Do you know what happened_?"

Jaliyah came to the edge of Anna's bed and handed the bowl over to Anna which turned out to be water. Anna drank gratefully. "_You stopped the Europeans and prevented a travesty,_" Jaliyah replied. "_Ardeth brought you back, wounded and unconscious._"

As Anna came to think of it, she did feel sore all over. "_How bad was I hurt_?" She asked.

"_Nothing I couldn't tend_," Jaliyah said. "_Let me see your hand._"

Anna held out her injured hand, covered in bandages, and Jaliyah unwrapped them. Anna winced when she saw the red surrounding the cut and some sort of paste on the cut. "_To keep it from getting infected_," Jaliyah explained. "_It looks like it's on the mend. Now your face_."

Anna drew back, startled, and felt a large bandage wrapped around her head. "_My face_?"

"_You had a nasty cut on your face and your nose was broken. I snapped it back in place and put some salve on it but I want to see how it's healing_." Jaliyah leaned forward and peeled another bandage off Anna's face.

"_How does it look_?" Anna asked anxiously.

The old woman frowned. "_It will scar unfortunately. As will your hand. But I've kept the damage to a minimum_."

Anna reached up to touch her face but Jaliyah slapped her hand away. "_Do not touch it_," she scolded and redid the bandage. "_It needs to heal and it cannot do that if you are touching it all the time_."

"_Okay_," Anna mumbled.

The tent flap opened again and Anna was surprised to see Ardeth enter. Last time Jaliyah practically chased him away from her tent. She chanced at glance at the old woman and was not surprised to see Jaliyah's lips tighten in a frown. "_One minute,_" Jaliyah snapped and hurried to the other side of the tent to give them some privacy.

Ardeth was by Anna's side in a flash. "Are you alright?" He asked in English.

"I'm fine," Anna said. "A little sore but still in one piece. What happened?"

"My uncle surmised that you absorbed some of the magical energy. As Iset's reincarnation you are susceptible to magics more than some. It overwhelmed you and you passed out. You've been asleep for two days now."

"Two days?" Anna exclaimed.

He nodded. "I worried for you but Jaliyah assured me you were merely resting."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "For all you've done for me."

He returned her smile and reached forward to take her hand. "It was nothing."

Anna wanted nothing more than to grab his face and kiss him but Jaliyah came back. "_You've had plenty of time. Out_!"

Ardeth lowered his eyes. "I will be back soon, I promise."

"I know," Anna replied.

He squeezed her hand affectionately before getting up and leaving the tent. Next to her, Jaliyah started chuckling. "_He didn't want to leave your side,_" She said. "_I only allowed it because you were unconscious._"

Anna flushed red. "_Thank you, Jaliyah_."

Jaliyah smiled. "_You prove to be an even match for him. I worried for a long time he would never find someone—none of the Medjai girls interested him. It puts my heart at ease he has found someone he will be happy with_."

Anna ducked her head, at a loss for words.

"_However_," Jaliyah continued, "_You will have to convince the Chiefs you are worthy of him. You are an outsider after all._"

"_How will I do that_?" Anna asked.

As Jaliyah opened her mouth to speak, the tent flap opened again. Jaliyah scowled and turned to address the newcomer but both women froze when they spotted Ahmad standing there.

"_Leave_," Ahmad said to Jaliyah.

To Anna's great surprise, Jaliyah said nothing but stood and left the tent without a word. She gaped after the woman until Ahmad walking towards her made her look back to him. Ahmad took a chair and sat down by Anna's bedside. Anna watched him warily and did her best to scoot away with him noticing.

"First and foremost," Ahmad started in English, "I must thank you for your actions at Thebes. You prevented a great disaster."

"What kind of disaster?" Anna couldn't help but inquire. Everyone spoke of the chamber having a great power but she didn't know what exactly—nor did anyone explain.

Ahmad gave her an irritated look but took a deep breath. "It was a power the priests used to glimpse the future, that is all we know. But we believed Iset had unlocked more of its powers when she became High Priestess but we were never certain. The only tales we know of her were passed down by word of mouth." He then leveled her with a steely gaze. "But that is not why I am here."

"Then why are you here?" She asked nervously.

"I know of my nephew's feelings towards you," Ahmad said bluntly. "I had my suspicions when he first brought you here but when he wouldn't leave your side like a worried wife, they were confirmed. He believes himself to be in love with you."

"He doesn't _believe_," Anna tried to retort but her voice cracked. "He _is_."

Ahmad laughed and Anna's ears burned in embarrassment. "You have no idea of our ways. Ardeth will become Chieftain of the Medjai and he needs a wife who understands the Medjai ways. You are not one of us and you never will be. I will never allow a union with an outsider who nearly destroyed everything we stand for."

"I helped stopped the world from ending. Twice," Anna whispered in a weak attempt to defend herself.

He laughed again and it cut at Anna harshly. "If you had not been there in the first place, we never would have had those crises. You are nothing but a burden to the Medjai."

"B-but," Anna protested.

But he shook his head, cutting her off. "Love is not needed for marriage. Only duty." Tears welled in Anna's eyes and to her mortification, one slipped down her cheek. Ahmad's lips twitched in a satisfied smirk. He stood. "Tomorrow, Ardeth will take you back to Cairo. He is needed to check on the situation with the museum. You will _not_ accompany him on the return journey. And if you do," he gave her a chilling smile, "the desert is a vast place."

And he left Anna there, crying. Jaliyah came back, frowning, but said nothing when she caught sight of Anna's face.

-x-

The next day, Jaliyah deemed Anna well enough to travel. They two women had not spoken about of the incident with Ahmad. Anna didn't feel like talking about and Jaliyah seemed to avoid the subject. Instead, Anna moped about the tent and stretched out her legs.

"_Here are your things_," Jaliyah said and handed Anna her clean clothes and bag.

"_Thank you_," Anna replied. "_For everything_," She added.

Jaliyah nodded curtly. "_Of course_." She looked as if she wanted to add something but she set her mouth in a firm line and looked away.

Anna dressed quickly and once her hijab was secure, she walked outside the tent. Her heart wrenched when she found Ardeth waiting for her. He smiled at her. "Good morning," he greeted.

"Morning," she replied, a little unenthused.

He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Just a little sore still," she lied. "It'll wear off."

"Are you sure? We can always postpone this trip. I told my uncle we don't have to worry about the museum now that Rashad is dead."

Anna's head perked up. "He died?"

Ardeth nodded. "A large rock hit him on the head. He bled out in the chamber."

"Oh." Anna didn't know how she was supposed to feel about that. On one hand, Rashad treated her nicely while she worked at the museum. On the other, he threatened her and used her to further his agenda. But still… He didn't deserve that fate.

She followed Ardeth to the stables where Amunet stood, saddled for her. She felt cheered to know Amunet survived the battle. But this time, she declined Ardeth's offer to help her into the saddle and clambered up onto Amunet.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ardeth asked, watching her.

"Just can't believe this ordeal is over," she said, a bit truthfully this time. The past couple weeks had been eventful what with the attempted kidnappings and the Kings' plan. She was thankful it was over now. But now…

"I'm sure you'll want to pick up some of your belongings in Cairo," Ardeth spoke suddenly. "We can go to your apartment, if you'd like."

Anna managed a weak smile though he couldn't see her. "That sounds nice." Oh god, how was she going to tell him?

-x-

The journey back to Cairo was long and uncomfortable. She was able to convince Ardeth she was just tired (even though he insisted on taking a long rest at night) as she thought over how she was going to tell Ardeth about what Ahmad told her. Would Ardeth refuse him or would he obey? Did Ardeth believe love was more important than duty? Would he really discard the entire Medjai for her? What if they threw him out? Anna's mind buzzed with unanswered questions.

Sure many people started marrying for love but Anna knew the Medjai were traditional. Love had nothing to do with their marriages. Could Anna trust Ardeth to make such a choice in her favor? How would they go about convincing the Medjai Anna could have a place among them?

"Anna?" Ardeth broke Anna out of her thoughts. "We've arrived."

Indeed they had. Cairo towered over them as they turned their horses towards some stables. Once the horses were safely taken care of, they headed into the city.

"It's so weird being back," she said as she watched passers-by. The people barely looked at either of them as they hurried to their destinations. None of them knew their world could have ended just days ago.

That thought made Anna reach out and take Ardeth's hand as if he could anchor her to the unstable ground she walked on. He took her hand and squeezed. She wanted to cry so badly now.

But she held it in as they walked towards her apartment. Deep down, she was pleased to see the building unchanged. At least there was a sense of familiarity about it. They ascended the steps to her floor and she smiled slightly when she noticed the pot she knocked over the night she ran away from David.

"I knocked that pot over," she found herself saying. "David and his men were after me and I was trying to sneak away but it fell over. It seems like forever ago."

"Long events can make such things seem like it," Ardeth said.

Anna rummaged in her bag and found her key. She inserted it into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Inside, her apartment looked untouched considering there was a fine layer of dust on everything. She couldn't help but smile again; at least no one broke in while she was away.

But she spotted a package sitting on her table that had not been there when she left. Her heart thumped nervously. What if David or the Kings left it. She approached it cautiously but when she spied the postage, she let out a cry.

"What?" Ardeth asked.

Anna picked up the package. "It's from England," she breathed. "From Evy."

She ripped the package open and found two envelopes inside. One was smaller, probably containing a letter, and the other bulky. She opened the smaller envelope first and pulled out a letter. At once, she recognized Evy's handwriting. She read it.

_Dearest Anna,_

_He's here! Alexander Rubert O'Connell was born three days ago. I wish you could see him Anna—_

"She gave birth," Anna said aloud. "A baby boy named Alexander." She smiled. Her brow furrowed as Evy encouraged her to look in the other envelope. She picked up the bulky envelope and opened it. A small leather book fell in her hand and several sheets that looked like official documents and tickets. At once, she recognized them.

"What are those?" Ardeth asked.

Anna's throat closed and she found it hard to breathe. Taking a few steadying breaths, she responded, "A passport and documents. I can go to England… join Rick and Evy." Indeed, when Anna returned to Evy's letter, Evy encouraged her to come to England and stay with her and Rick and meet baby Alexander.

"You can leave Egypt?" Ardeth said as if he could not believe it. "But you're staying? You are staying, yes?"

Anna couldn't bring herself to look at him. She kept staring at the passport in her hand. When she finally glanced up, she found Ardeth staring at her intently. "I should," she admitted and looked back down. "Go to England, I mean."

"Why?" There was an edge in his voice. "Anna, please look at me." She did. "Tell me what is going on? You've been acting strange since you left Jaliyah's tent."

Anna trembled under his gaze but she couldn't hide it any longer. "I don't belong here," she blurted.

"I know," he said and her heart jumped to her throat. "You're from the future but your life is not over, yet. You can make a future for yourself here."

But Anna shook her head. "Not here time-wise," she replied. "But here in Egypt. I should go to England. I don't know anything about the Medjai. I can't fight, I can't ride a horse. I'd die in the desert if someone wasn't with me—watching me. You're going to be Chieftain someday. Your people would never accept an outsider like me." Even as she spoke, repeating Ahmad's words, her throat closed up and it took all her willpower not to cry.

"Anna." Ardeth took her by the shoulders. "I will make them see your value and worth," he promised. "They don't know you like I do. You will learn; you've proven that to me time and time again. You are a capable, fierce woman who has saved me life." He stared deep into her eyes and she was rooted to where she stood. "I admire your independence, you stand by me as an equal, the way you talk, _your smile_, the way you throw your head back and crinkle your nose when you laugh, I admire everything about you. Anna, _I love you_."

Oh god, he said them. When those three words came out of his mouth, the tears slipped down Anna's cheeks. "That's why I have to leave," she sobbed. "I-I can't." Her mind in a whirl of despair, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a desperate kiss to his lips. His hands came around her to pull her in close as they deepened the kiss.

If there was one moment Anna never wanted to end, it was this one. She wanted nothing more than stay by his side but—Ahmad's words lingered in her head and then Ardeth's. If she were a stronger person than perhaps she could. But she wasn't.

In an instant, he pulled away. The hurt in his eyes brought more tears to Anna's eyes and she looked away. She didn't' looked back up until the door slammed and Ardeth was gone. Anna collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

-x-

Ardeth didn't come back.

Two days later, Anna packed up everything she owned into one suitcase and headed for the port. She would take a boat to Italy and then a flight to London. There the O'Connells would greet her, their cousin (as the documents identified Anna Campbell as a cousin to Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan) back from her long, overdue trip to Egypt.

Anna walked up the gangplank, and set her suitcase down as she stood at the railing. She took one look at Cairo, her home for the past year, in an attempt to immortalize it in her memory because she didn't know if she was ever coming back. No longer would she have to walk to the s_ouk_ everyday for food or endure the hot sun. She would be in England, the land of clouds and rain.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of black. Her heat leapt in anticipation but she saw no one. Just a trick of the light. _Or was it?_ Her mind whispered to her but she squashed the thought. It was too late. Men were taking the gangplank away and sailors were calling for all aboard. The trip was about to begin.

A tear trickled down Anna's cheek and she briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again and saw all the people walking up and down the streets and docks, her heart wrenched. _Goodbye_, she said silently to everyone and just one person in particular.

_Goodbye._

-x-

The trip took a little over a week. But once the boat landed in Europe, the rest of the trip seemed short by comparison. England was much colder compared to Egypt and Anna shivered in her cotton blouse. She grew up in California and then lived in Egypt, she was not well-suited to the cold.

But she forgot the chill when she spied Jonathan waiting for her. Even after a year, he had not changed. He still wore a white suit and the same smile when he spied her. "Anna," he greeted warmly.

"Jonathan," Anna said happily and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you."

"You as well. I was worried we were never going to get you out of Egypt but it turned out Rick has a friend who does a really good job at forging documents." He glanced around as if looking for eavesdroppers. "It took some time but we got you what you needed. Did you have any trouble crossing borders?" 

"None at all." The man who took a look at her passport told her 'welcome home.' "How's Evy and the baby?"

Jonathan grinned. "They're doing quite well! Evy wanted to come see you but Rick wanted her to rest. She'll get out soon enough."

"That she will," Anna chuckled.

Jonathan took her suitcase and took her over to a sleek, white car and hauled it into the trunk. Anna got into the passenger seat as Jonathan started the car up. "It's been a fun year since we came back," he informed her. "Evy and Rick made quite a fortune with the treasure we found in Hamunaptra, bought themselves a nice house, and there's been talk of Evy working at the British Museum. Though she might not take it anymore, what with Alex and all."

"You never know," Anna said as she watched the buildings go by. London was much different than Cairo. While everything had been open in Cairo, everything seemed tighter in London; both the buildings and the people. It was almost claustrophobic.

He drove them out into the outskirts of London and to a large mansion. Anna's mouth dropped open at the sight. "You said house," she accused. "Not a mansion!"

He grinned again. "I wanted to surprise you! It's impressive, isn't it? Though they could have gone bigger, if you ask me."

"They probably didn't," Anna retorted dryly. She got out of the car, leaving Jonathan to grab her things, and approached the front door.

Inside, she found herself surrounded by many European artifacts and she wondered where they got them. But the inside was gorgeous and Anna ran a hand up a wooden pillar engraved with elegant designs. _So much different than Cairo_.

"Anna!" She looked up and let out a cry of joy when she saw Rick striding towards her.

"Rick!" She cried and ran forward to embrace him. He enveloped her in a bear hug and twirled her around a couple times. She laughed.

"You've gotten taller," Rick commented when he set her down. But his eyes narrowed. "What happened to your nose?"

She gently touched her nose. Halfway into her journey to England, she took off the bandage because it was getting dirty. The wound had scabbed over and itched like hell but it was healing. "Long story," she said. "I'll tell you later."

"You better," he said with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Anna!" Behind Rick, Evy walked into the hallway, carrying a small bundle.

Anna grinned widely. "Evy!" She sidestepped Rick and approached the older woman. They hugged each other with a half hug and Evy kissed Anna's cheek.

"I missed you so much," Evy said. "How was Cairo and the museum? I was worried when we didn't hear your reply."

"I'm fine," Anna reassured him. "Just a little tired." _And heartbroken_. She nodded down at the small bundle. "Is this him?"

Rick came up from behind and proudly wrapped an arm around Evy's shoulders as she pulled the blanket down. Inside, a small baby peered up at Anna with astoundingly blue eyes. _He looks like Rick_, she thought.

"Alex," Evy said, "I'd like you to meet your Aunt Anna."

Anna's heart swelled with love and she reached out a finger and touched his little hand. He wrapped his hand around her finger in a strong grip. "Hi Alex," she said softly. "Pleased to meet you."

-x-

**And that concludes chapter twenty! How many of you are mad at me now? Next chapter we start the Mummy Returns portion of the story and all sorts of goodies await. Especially with the return of a certain Medjai.**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter twenty-one!**


End file.
